Testing the Limits of Magic
by ethan.spikes
Summary: [Alternate Universe fic.] I decided to make a Fanfiction that played the entire series from beginning to end. There are two key differences. 1; Harry constantly tests the boundaries of magic. 2; Involves the best elements of every great Fan Fiction I have ever known of. Rated 'T' for possible cussing and eventual romance. Butterfly Effect hinted at.
1. The Snake, The Letter, and Mrs Figg

AN: Well, It's been awhile since I first wrote this. So, I updated it. I do not own the Harry Potter books or any OCs within.

Harry was lying in bed alone at 6:30AM, thinking about things that flooded his mind. Very rarely was there ever a silent moment in his head. He was always thinking about something, calculating the possible outcomes of a situation. He was, from the very beginning, very different from other people. His ability to see a person for who they truly were allowed him to make Dudley, who was once his worst nightmare, a very close friend over the years. With his Aunt and Uncle, however, he was less successful. Any attempt to befriend them on their own terms ended up in rather severe punishments, accusations of trying to get inside their head, and the replacement of his name with 'boy' or 'freak'. This is one of the reasons why his room is the broom cupboard under the stairs.

Dudley, upon becoming Harry's friend, eventually used his birthday and Christmas to ask for presents he would give to Harry. Harry had been caught only once in having one of his toys. The punishment was no dinner for a week. He still ate, though, as Dudley always slipped food through the door. Dudley didn't mention that he wanted Harry to have it, because if either of Dudley's parents discovered that Harry was mixing with their precious child, Harry would likely discover himself living on the street or in an orphanage. Harry was playing with one of those presents now, it was a wood puzzle. There were six pieces and all of them were exactly the same. This puzzle was his only toy that wasn't broken, and helped him stimulate his thoughts.

After a while, a loud and obnoxious rapping on the door woke Harry from his daydream. "Wake up, cousin! We're going to the zoo!" A latch being pulled back told Him that Dudley had unlocked the door. His cousin was always one to hide that he was Harry's friend.

Harry got up to make breakfast for the family, as he had to everyday. Vernon and Petunia came downstairs. Petunia said, "Don't you dare burn the bacon," before hugging and kissing Dudley, and Vernon commented, "Comb your hair!" before settling down to read the newspaper. The breakfast went better than usual. Neither Vernon nor Petunia spoke to him. Dudley didn't eat all of the food on his plate while Harry did. Given the amount of food his parents gave him every day; Dudley should be about the size of a baby whale by now. But, since he and Harry were friends, some of his food always found its way to Harry. Harry, probably for this very reason, wasn't as skinny as he would be if he never got food from Dudley, and was much taller.

Harry was interrupted from one of his daydreams when Dudley asked Vernon, "How many are there?" -Speaking of the presents at the fireplace for his birthday.

"Thirty-Six, counted-em myself!" Vernon said proudly. Dudley smiled nicely and said, "Thanks, Mom and Dad."

Petunia, having spoken of this to Vernon before hand, warning him that he got thirty seven last year, was amazed at her son's lack of selfishness, "But, Dudley, you got thirty seven last year! You aren't at all mad at that?"

"No, mum, the presents this year are a little bigger than last year, after all." He said innocently, attempting to hide the personal changes that came about because of his friendship to Harry. Harry didn't dare smile, fearing that Petunia would notice and take offence. He feared in vain, as Petunia immediately began sobbing and hugging Dudley ferociously.

"M-my D-Dudikins is growing up s-so fast!" Petunia sobbed into an embarrassed Dudley's shirt.

"Stop, mother, you're getting my nice clothes wet!" Dudley silently claimed, trying to pull her off. Petunia calmly released him while wiping her eyes, Vernon said;

"That's our boy! Growing up to be a big, responsible man!" And with that, Harry began thinking of other things again while quietly eating his eggs.

-oOoOo-

The morning passed quickly, taking with it the dew on the grass. After breakfast, things went by quickly. Dudley quietly slipped two strips of bacon into Harry's pocket and they all go into the car. Harry ate the extra bacon in the car, and then began daydreaming again. He came out of the daydream when they got to the zoo. Harry, not thinking, immediately set off for the 'reptiles' section.

"Boy! Come back here at once!" Vernon called. Harry realized what he was doing and came back. "Listen to me, boy," Vernon started, "You just lost your dinner for that little slip-up. I want you and Dudley to stick together with Petunia. If I hear of any funny-business, any at all, you will be in that cupboard for a week."

"Yes, Uncle Vernon."

"Go, then."

"Yes, Uncle." He said, turning around and following Petunia and Dudley into the Zoo. Harry didn't care for much of the wildlife, but the life he did care about was typically deadly. Harry had a nearly morbid fascination for living things that could kill him. Among these were; lions, bears, sharks, and snakes. He harbored this strange love of deadly creatures for as long as he knew, and the bigger they were, the more beautiful they seemed to him. His favorite memory was touching a common garden snake that had somehow gotten into Petunia's flower bed. It sent a shiver up his spine to feel the muscles under the snake's scales, and was in his thoughts for weeks afterward.

Harry came back from a daydream involving snakes, feeling the same shiver he had remembered feeling just weeks before as he laid eyes on a huge snake. He immediately recognized it as a boa constrictor.

Dudley immediately tapped on the glass, knowing that Petunia was watching his and Harry's behavior. "Hey, you! Move!" Dudley shouted at the boa. Harry flinched at Dudley's callous behavior, but said nothing. Petunia's ever-watchful eye was present. Getting board, Dudley and Petunia moved off, leaving Harry simply to stare in awe. Feeling silly at first, he talked to it.

"Sorry about them. They don't understand what it's like, sitting there all day, having people sticking their ugly faces at you."

That's when something strange happened. It looked at him. "I get that all the time." Harry's amazement lasted for a few seconds as he just stared at it, but was quickly interrupted by Dudley's silent question.

"Were you just talking to it?" He asked, awed. Harry jumped in surprise, and then calmed a little to say,

"Yes, but please don't tell them." Harry said desperately.

"Of course not. What do you think; I'm some kind of git?"

"No." He replied, grinning slightly and looking back at the snake briefly. Dudley had found out that Harry could do some strange things in the past. This was one of the things that led to them becoming friends. Curiosity overruled fear and pride and they eventually got along. Petunia noticed her Dudikins was behind.

"Oi! Boy! Get over here!" She called to Harry, frowning sternly at him, not willing to yell at Dudley. Harry quickly caught up and the day passed without another strange incident.

-oOoOo-

A few months later, during the summer, Harry woke up in the broom cupboard, as usual. He made breakfast and sat down to eat. The noise of springs screeching and then metal clanging against metal told them that the mail had just been delivered. Harry smelled something disgusting, but didn't bother to check what it was because he was daydreaming about the snake at the zoo.

Coming to his senses about the mail and not wanting to tax Dudley's precious form, Vernon grunted at Harry, "Go get the mail, boy."

"Yes, Vernon." Harry replied. Dudley looked guiltily at Harry and Harry knew that Dudley would have gladly gotten the mail for him. Thinking on this as he went to the mail, Harry realized that the most likely reason that Vernon decided to get him to bring the mail, rather than Dudley, is because he knew that Harry would get it willingly. It seemed to Vernon that the boy was finally becoming normal, and he overlooked some obvious signs that Dudley and Harry were getting along for this very reason. It never occurred to him that the real reason behind Harry behaving well was because Dudley and Harry had become close friends when Dudley recognized and enjoyed Harry's curious ability to do strange things. It was very good that Vernon didn't know it, as that may have caused him to have a heart attack. The mail, at least at first, seemed as normal and boring as all mail seemed to Harry. Until he found a letter _for him._

Harry's only friend was Dudley. No one else really cared for him, which means that no one would write him. But someone did. The letter was made of parchment and written in green ink. The first line of the destination address made his heart skip a beat. The second one sent shivers up his spine and made him gasp

 _Mr. H. Potter_

 _The Cupboard Under The Stairs_

 _4 Privet Drive_

 _Little Whinging_

 _Surrey_

A half-second was all it took for Harry to decide to stuff it down his massive trousers, hiding it from view. There was no reason why his Aunt and Uncle should see this letter. It was his and no-one was allowed to see it without his permission. Considering that the writer knew where he slept, and that it was made out of parchment, Harry knew that it was strange enough to Vernon that he would burn it as soon as he got his meaty hands on it, and that was not happening. This did, however, launch Harry into another daydream. Who could have possibly sent the mail? No. He had to stay focused. Can't let them know something's going on. Can't let them see the letter.

Breakfast was finished quickly. Dudley stuffed toast down Harry's pocket in a covert way before going upstairs to play on his computer. Vernon noticed, but said nothing, reminiscing on how Dudley was bending Harry to become normal. Perhaps he should allow Harry to eat more. Besides, He was a growing boy and was likely aspiring to become like Dudley. Vernon smiled as he felt pride for Dudley's sense of leadership.

Harry cleaned up after breakfast and went to his cupboard in as normal a way as possible. Vernon noticed, however, that Harry was rushing, and immediately assumed that he was dying to eat his toast. Petunia noticed as well, but didn't see the toast incident.

"Harry, why are you rushing?" Petunia questioned loudly. Instantly, Vernon said,

"Harry, go to your room. I'll have a talk with Petunia." Harry paled and began to shiver, having no idea what was going on and assuming that it had something to do with the letter. When he got into his room, he immediately hid the letter under a loose board under his bed and went to the door to listen to the conversation. It started with Vernon.

"Petunia, I think Harry is becoming normal." Almost immediately, Harry gave a sigh of relief. They didn't know about the letter.

"How is that even possible? He's," and at this, her voice dropped to a whisper, and Harry could barely hear her, "One of them." Vernon carried on in the same whisper.

"Of course he is, but when is the last time he did something strange?" Harry had to smile at this. If it weren't for his friendship with Dudley, they would know that he did strange stuff every day.

"I really can't remember, but what is your point?"

"Petunia, hear me out. When is the last time Dudley behaved in a nasty way towards Harry?"

"Well… we can't know what's going on at school…."

"No more bruises, Petunia. Harry doesn't get hurt at school anymore. At the same time, Dudley miraculously stopped bullying Harry. Then, Harry stopped doing strange things. Do you not see?"

"See what?!" She impatiently yelled. Vernon raised a hand for peace. Petunia calmed down.

"I think Dudley and Harry became friends, which is what caused Harry to give up all of the strange stuff in the first place. I think Harry's friendship with Dudley is making Harry more like Dudley."

"But, how can you possibly know this?"

"I just saw Dudley shove a piece of toast into Harry's pocket and Harry didn't react, then Harry began to rush to his cupboard, likely starving to eat it. Petunia, they are friends… wait, where…."

"I must see this for myself, Vernon." Petunia said, her voice getting noticeably louder to Harry. It was too late when Harry realized that Petunia was coming to confirm that he had the toast. Harry barely stepped back before the door opened and Petunia demanded the toast. Harry guiltily handed it to her and she looked at it in shock, but quickly recovered and brought it upstairs to Dudley. This is what Harry heard.

"Dudley, did you give Harry this toast?"

"Um….uh."

"Dudley, you are not in trouble, now tell me-"

"I know I'm not in trouble, mother, but is Harry?" That warmed Harry's heart. It also stopped Petunia's questioning. A few seconds later, Harry heard;

"Oh, Dudders!" Dudley's groan told Harry that Petunia was giving him a bone-crushing hug. Harry heard lots of sobbing and quiet whispering, likely about how happy she was that Dudley was growing up to be a reliable and responsible man. Then, he heard slow footsteps leading down the stairs. The door to his room opened and Petunia gave Harry the toast back and quietly shut the door. Harry listened to the door again.

"You're right, Vernon. They are friends. What do we do?"

"It's simple, really. Since he is becoming one of us, we treat him like one of us, but it needs to be slow. To start off, let Harry have more during meals. That should also stop Dudley going behind our backs. I don't want him thinking he can just do things against us. We should also begin treating him like we treat Dudley. No more mean words, and no more 'boy'. He is a respectable lad and his name is Harry, and we need to show him that we accept him if he behaves that way."

"And what about his room? We could use Dudley's second room."

"No, that's too fast. Maybe in a week or two. And, if Harry does anything weird, everything extra we give him for being normal goes away." And with that, Petunia got up again to slowly walk over to the cupboard. It was a slightly timid voice that greeted him.

"Harry, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

"During meals, serve yourself some more food, but don't take away from Dudley. We are doing this because you mixing with Dudley seems to be improving your behavior."

"Thank you, Aunt Petunia." Harry said sweetly, hoping it sounded sincere.

"You're welcome, dear."

Then she walked out to Vernon and said, "He seems to like the idea. Let's see how far it goes." The conversation ceased after that. That was the signal for Harry to read the letter. Harry got under the bed and retrieved the letter from under the floorboard, opened it as quietly as possible, and read it.

Immediately, his mind began racing. If this was a gag, the consequences wouldn't be severe. If it wasn't, it could be a whole new world. The problem was that they seemed to think that he had some kind of trained bird, _an owl,_ which could deliver his reply. Perhaps it was sent with the typical Hogwarts greeting, which means that all they needed to do was fill in a few blanks. Therefore, if they had enough information to be able to tell that he lives in a broom cupboard, then they will know that he doesn't have an owl. Because of this, if they want a reply, they will have an owl posted outside, or they will simply have people posted in the post office.

Well, that's easy enough, all he has to do is write a reply on the back of the parchment, get outside, try to find an owl, and then just send the mail through the post office if he fails. He decided to keep the parchment sheet that told him what materials he needed. On the back of the first parchment sheet, he wrote with a pen he found randomly;

 _Dear Minerva McGonagall,_

 _I'm afraid that I don't know what this school is. My first instinct is to throw this letter in the trash, but I would probably regret it later. If this isn't a prank, then I would be happy to go. There is a problem, however. My Aunt and Uncle don't know about this letter because if they found out, I would likely be severely punished. They hate anything that is 'abnormal', and this definitely qualifies. Under no circumstances can they know about this school, this letter, or that I have been contacted by what they call 'her crowd', which is a term they give to my mother's friends, I guess. Also, now that I mention it, do you know how my parents really died? My Aunt and Uncle claim that they died in a car crash because Dad got drunk. Is that true? Hopefully Hogwarts isn't fake. This place is terrible and could get worse in the future. If you want me to attend, you will have to send someone to pick me up. This person has to look normal. Talk about taking me away to a school that they will not see me for a while for free, they will love to hear that. This school must seem as normal as possible. And, please, come get me quickly. I cannot stand it in here much longer._

 _Sincerely, and with timid joy,_

 _Harry Potter_

 _PS: Where am I supposed to get all this stuff for school? Also, why is it that I'm not allowed a broom? Is the manual labor too hard for us or something?_

With that written down, he folded it back up and wrote on the envelope " _Return to Sender. Read Contents!"_ On the way to the mailbox, Harry noticed Mrs. Fig standing in front of it. Harry approached at a normal speed, hoping not to be noticed as strange. Maybe she would move out of his way? No. She just stood there with a small grin on her face. As soon as they met, Mrs. Fig said,

"Quickly, Harry give me the letter and I will give it to McGonagall. Don't ask questions."

"It's real?"

"Of course, now give it here, Harry." That snapped him to attention. Without saying another word, he gave her the letter and walked to the park in order to avoid being suspicious. At the park, there was a bench there and four yew trees planted together. Two years ago, the bench wasn't there and the trees were only saplings. Harry found this spot, roughly measured the distance between the trees, then got to work. Harry seemed to be able to do lots of weird things. One of the coolest things he can do is manipulate and create growth just by thinking about it. Dudley caught him on a day not much different from this. That day, Harry made the four trees come to adulthood and intertwine their branches above to form a giant shade, and then made their roots come together in such a way that formed a bench. The low-hanging branches surrounding the trees provided greater shade. No plant life grew on four paths leading from the bench.

It was there that Harry sat every time he rested outside of the house, thinking about things. He recently found a way to boost the tree's oxygen production greatly, which helped with thinking, especially during the summer, as the heat usually made him feel tired, and the oxygen-rich air cooled everything down. Harry was there now, his head in his hands and knees up to his chest, using this position to allow him to think as quickly as possible about what went down today. Without Harry's knowing, Dudley walked up

"What was that all about?" Dudley asked while sitting down

"What do you mean by 'that'?" He replied, nonchalant, thinking that he may have seen him hand the letter to Mrs. Fig.

"The thing with the toast. And they reacted positively. I thought for sure you were going to be punished."

"Yeah, I did too, especially since I first thought they found out about the letter."

"What letter? Can I see?"

"No, I already sent it. In the mail this morning, there was a letter that told me that I had been accepted to a school."

"Oh, well why would you need to hide it? They would be ecstatic, probably try to get me to enroll."

"The school's name is the 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'"

Dudley gulped, "Well, what if it is a prank? Although, that would explain all of those weird things you can do."

"It's not a prank. Mrs. Fig was at the mailbox today and asked for the letter, telling me to be quick and that the school is real."

"Whoa! She's one of them?"

"Apparently. Now that I know that it's real, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" Asked Dudley, concerned.

"Well….In the letter I wrote back, telling them to pick me up and take me away to the school for a very long time. The longer, the better."

"Oh." Said Dudley, looking slightly hurt, but it changed to anger. "Man, I have never been angrier at my parents."

"Don't worry, Dudley," Harry said with a smile, smacking him on the back, "As soon as I get there, I'll figure out if I can come back to visit sometime." Dudley smiled at that. They sat there for a few hours and then went home.


	2. A Secret School and The Wandmaker

AN: This chapter was especially bad, so I edited it as well. Now it's much better.

Professor McGonagall was bombarded everyday with letters from various parents asking questions, confirming that their witch or wizard can attend, and so on. There was never a 'summer break' for her. Managing the letters kept her busy during the summer. There was a massive pile of letters waiting for her to open. Her hair was let down for the workload she was taking on, and her hair was frizzing up a little. At this point in the day, weariness seeped into her bones and her hands ached from repetitive letter-opening and writing. A convenient window was opened to allow owls to drop their mail. One of these owls, instead of putting the letter on the top of the pile, flew directly to the professor and said;

"HOO!" It dropped a letter on her desk.

"Sorry, but I need you to put the letter in the pile over th-"

"HOO!" It said, yelling in its own language. By the look it gave her, one would think it was saying, "I don't care, you old bat, you need to read this NOW!"

"Well, HOO to you, too!" McGonagall yelled, laughing afterwards, completely oblivious to the insult just thrown at her. The feathers around the owl's neck stood on end when she yelled. Upon picking up the letter, the owl flew away, leaving droppings on her desk.

"Was that entirely necessary?" She asked, annoyed. The droppings disappeared at a whisper of, 'scourgify'. She looked at the letter. The blood emptied from her face as she read the destination address of a letter she had written to Harry Potter. Something new was scribbled on it

"Why return to sender? Why not just send me a new one?" She mumbled. Some of her hair was caught in her mouth and she tried spitting it out and failed miserably, then just brushed it aside. The letter was quickly opened and read.

Upon reading the letter, the aged witch, typically composed, found herself fighting back the instinct of apparating to the Dursley's, knocking down their door, and torturing those ignorant, prideful, deformed….!

Minerva won the battle against herself and eventually came to her senses. The letter she held had been crumpled in her fist during the war that had occurred within her. Her hair had frizzed up a little more, giving her the appearance of someone put through the heart of a mosh-pit. Her facial expression was that of someone who had just finished eating a particularly strong lemon, while her upper lip arched into a scowl worthy of a self-serving bureaucrat. Her wand, placed on the desk, had started a small fire that she quickly put out. "One step at a time, Minerva." She told herself, gathering her wits to analyze the situation. Hopefully then she would know what to do.

The boy doesn't know the school. He is used to being severely punished if strange things happen. The Aunt and Uncle know about magical folk, but seemed to have formed a hate against them. He doesn't know about witches or wizards, or about magic. He doesn't know how his parents really died. He doesn't know anything about our world, but he wants to. That's good. Now all we need is someone to get him out.

"That's it." She mumbled to herself, rising from her chair and hurrying to the dungeons. When she arrived there, Severus Snape, potions master and head of Slytherin House of Hogwarts, was reading a book. Something to do with potions. That's all she observed before she placed the slightly crumpled letter before the potions master.

"And what is this?" He silkily asked, eyes still scanning the book before him.

"A returned letter from Harry Potter." She stated plainly in a tone that demanded attention. That was more than enough to get him to pick up the letter. He began reading with tired interest and he started slowly, only to pick up speed. Despite his own emotionally detached demeanor, his dark brow twitched and his lip curled slightly, his own visage betraying a titanic struggle within him.

He breathed deeply and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Once his hand dropped away from his face, he stated simply; "Before I leap up to collect Harry, do you have a plan on how to go about it, preferably one that involves the Dursleys giving him up freely? Also, do you plan on contacting Dumbledore on this matter?"

"I do not plan on informing him until he gets back from his vacation. However, I do have a plan to retrieve Harry, and it involves you."

A rare grin appeared on his face, "I'm listening."

-oOoOo-

About a month later, only weeks from September first, Harry woke up to a loud banging on his bedroom door, irritating a summer-headache he didn't know was there. Opening his sore eyes, he looked around his room. He was still amazed at how his life had improved since the morning Vernon caught Dudley passing Harry toast. He was now gaining muscle mass because he was eating enough food. He wasn't treated like a freeloading rat that lived in the walls His bedroom was now what Dudley's second bedroom was once. He was, however, closely watched and still treated with little consideration. The banging sound repeated and now Petunia could be heard through it.

"I want you out of bed. Now!" Harry groaned, falling out of bed onto his hands and knees. Hopping up, he grabbed some clothes, put them on, and went downstairs. Breakfast was the normal bacon, eggs, and toast, and this time he was allowed to have as much as Dudley. In the middle of breakfast, Dudley pulled out a small box and gave it to him with a smile.

"Happy birthday, Harry." Said Dudley before returning to his food. Vernon grunted in acknowledgement. Petunia simply glanced at the box before following Dudley's example. That may have been the most non-celebratory birthday many had ever heard of, but it was a great improvement from last year. Last year involved a pair of old and smelly socks from Uncle Vernon with absolutely no 'happy birthday' and no packaging. Oh, and it also involved cleaning every nook and cranny of the house in 'celebration.' Opening the box, Harry uncovered a thin layer of wax paper and found a metal watch underneath. Just as he was about to say 'thank you, Dudley', the doorbell rang. Harry's heart jumped. The first thought that leapt to his mind was 'is it them?'

Vernon grunted and rose from his seat. Harry never answered the door. They made a point hiding him from the neighbors for more than a decade and they weren't stopping now. The first thing that Harry heard made all doubt fly out the window. He knew from that point forward that Hogwarts is real.

The voice was deep and held authority. "Hello, Mr. Dursley. I am Professor Snape. I am here to speak to you about Harry Potter's future. May I come in?" Petunia and Dudley both curiously glanced at Harry. Vernon mumbled something. The professor responded with, "Thank you, sir."

A man walked in with Vernon. He wore a jet-black trench coat, black pants, and black dress shoes. His black hair was long and greasy. Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley all looked at the professor, waiting for something to happen. Dudley had a more significant look and was looking at Harry again. His look told Harry that he was dying to ask, 'Is this the one who sent you the letter?' This was all interrupted by Vernon,

"What do you have to say about Harry's future?"

"I am a professor at a prestigious school that raises small children to become leaders of the British government." This impressed Vernon, as he held great respect for the government.

"And what school is this, exactly?" Vernon asked.

"I am afraid I cannot tell you. Competition with German and French schools with the same goal in mind forces us to keep many things secret from outsiders."

Vernon scowled at this. "And I suppose such a prestigious school will cost us an arm and a leg?"

"No. The tests we have carried out on Harry have given us the confidence that he will succeed, which allows you to send him to this school free of charge."

"How did you carry these tests out?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you. I also cannot tell you what the tests are meant to determine."

"Very well. Assuming that I let him attend, how will this play out?" Vernon asked, now intrigued.

"If you allow him to attend, he must come with me now. You will not see him again except during the summer in-between school-years. When the school year ends I will personally drop him off at your house. He will not be allowed to bring anything from the school to this house. When term is about to begin once again, I will pick him up to bring him to the school on this day every year until his eighteenth birthday. He is not allowed to say anything about the school, nor is he allowed to give you hints, and he will not answer any questions asked about the school, as that would betray a contract he will be forced to sign when he first sees the school."

Vernon was ecstatic at this point, but kept his mask on and asked, "What government officials have been taught by your school?"

"Our very own Prime Minister was one of my most dedicated students." Snape replied, his face glowing with a not-so-hidden pride that Harry knew wasn't genuine. Vernon and Petunia were sold, but Dudley still looked at Harry in disbelief. Uncle Vernon and Petunia both focused on Harry again.

Vernon spoke first, raising a finger at Harry and squinting, "I don't want to hear any complaining, Harry. You are going to that school if you know what's good for you." Petunia opened her mouth and then closed it again, returning to her food, as if she didn't care what happened to Harry, or that she was going to say something but chose not to. Harry felt like a balloon had been filled with air inside him! He felt like he was weightless! They were going to _allow_ him to go to Hogwarts! Sometimes, he felt like some giant, intimidating figure would have to smash their door down and take him away. But they're letting him go!

"Ok, Uncle Vernon." Harry said innocently. Snape began to walk out the door, paused and said.

"I hope you understand. If you agree to attend, your life will get a lot more difficult." This only made Vernon overjoyed.

"Go! Get out before the boy changes his mind!" He yelled. Harry silently nodded and left with the professor. There was nothing Harry thought was worth bringing with him, so he just left.

They left the house and took a right. There was a brief period of time when the professor simply walked. Somehow, It was intimidating. The man, known to Harry as Quincy, looked straight ahead, allowing his shoes to tap dully on the cement, somehow making his own walk seem like a dark omen. When the house was finally out of sight, the professor said,

"Everything that I told them in there is a lie."

"Then can you start telling me the truth?" Harry asked, palms itching. He barely noticed that they were walking towards the park.

"I intend to. You're a wizard, Harry."

Harry's head echoed the name on the letter, 'school of witchcraft and wizardry,' then he asked, "What's a wizard?"

"A wizard is a man that can control magic. Your parents were a witch and wizard."

"Is magic what allows me to make things grow?"

Snape took a small note of this. He was impressed that he got that far into controlling his abilities. This one may be interesting after all. "Yes, it is," he stated in a nasal monotone that all people find to belong only to him, "However, these abilities can be greatly focused and strengthened with a wand." He said, pulling out what seemed to Harry to be a long, thin stick from inside his sleeve, and then quickly putting it back. "Wands also allow you to go beyond typical magic, and make casting spells easier. Have you attempted any other magic?"

"Well… does talking to snakes count as magic?"

The professor was surprised at this, but didn't let it show. "No, but it is an immensely rare ability. Do you have any examples of this 'growth' you speak of?"

"Yes, we are walking towards it."

"I suppose you should lead the way, then. In the meantime, do you have any more questions for me?"

"What is Hogwarts?"

"Hogwarts is a school that teaches young witches and wizards how to control and develop magic."

"Is there light magic and dark magic?"

Severus glanced at Harry, wondering where his curiosity would take him later in life. "Light magic and Dark magic do exist. Dark magic is typically harmful magic. Light magic is typically helpful or protective magic, but can destroy certain dark things, counter dark spells and so on. There is also black magic, which is a particularly potent form of dark magic that usually requires some sort of loss to those involved, but has much more powerful results. Light magic however, has its own potent form called pure magic. This magic could potentially be far more powerful than black magic and doesn't require sacrifice like black magic frequently does. Both light and dark magic require some form of powerful emotion to be felt. There is also the common magic that witches and wizards use and encounter every day, which is weaker, but is more predictable, easier to cast and far more stable as a result."

"What about wandless magic?" Harry asked. Snape felt a little embarrassed by this question.

"I'm afraid that I haven't studied it in detail. In fact, it's rather old and hardly anyone uses it anymore."

"But, you must admit that you could use it to surprise an enemy in combat?"

"Yes, that is frequently what it was used for a couple hundred years ago, but as dueling techniques improved these surprises became less relevant and more for show."

"But, are there certain spells that are specific to wandless magic?"

"I don't know. I haven't studied it."

Slightly disappointed, Harry returned to a question he had been dying to ask for a long time. "How did I get this scar?

Severus' face seemed to sag at this. "It might be too much for such a young child. It's sad, then, that everyone in our world knows, and you will probably find out on your own. Or worse, you will only find out about the rumors without any real facts. I will only tell you what I know happened for a fact.

"In our world, there used to be a particularly dark wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort. He held so much influence that, even today, they do not call him by his name, preferring to call him You-Know-Who. Most people are so afraid of saying the name that they will act as if you had cursed in front of them if you say it. It was dark times, Harry. People were dying left and right just after publicly defying Voldemort. Pretty soon, a great portion of the world was afraid of him, and only a very few would stand against him. Your parents were an example of this. Back then, if Voldemort wanted you dead, you died eventually. There were many ways to slow him down, but there is always a weakness in a defense system. Voldemort found the home you lived in, killed your parents, and then tried to kill you. That's the real mystery of it, Harry. He took care of your mother, your father, your house, even, but when he tried to kill you the spell failed, giving you that scar instead. No one knows what happened to him that night and no one's seen him since, but you were known from that point on as The Boy who Lived."

Severus looked over at Harry after telling him this. Harry had a blank expression, like he was thinking about other things. Snape figured that the boy needed time to think. Nonetheless, these thoughts were driven out of his mind as the professor laid eyes on the most peculiar set of trees.

"We're here," said Harry. Snape looked in wonder at the canopy above. The bench was amazing as well. What must have been the most difficult, however, are the four paths to the bench. Causing growth is hard enough, but preventing it? That takes a constant presence of magic. Unless he didn't use magic. He could have just used salt instead. But some plants survive despite the salt.

"It seems that you might be worth all of this trouble after all." Severus stated simply.

Harry, not knowing whether he should feel insulted or complemented, replied,"Thank you. Now where are we going?"

"Well, as I'm sure you know, term starts in a month, so I am going to have you stay at a house that is well protected."

"Is it a wizard's house?"

"No, it's a witch's. Her name is Augusta Longbottom. Her grandson has a thing for plants." Harry smiled at that.

"How do we get there?"

"Grab hold of my arm." Harry did so. "Tighter." Harry's grip tightened. "Good. Try not to vomit when you land."

With that, Snape barely twitched and then Harry experienced being pulled up, squeezed through a straw, feeling like he was going to suffocate, and then felt himself return to normal as he slammed back down to earth. Harry fell over. Snape only stumbled a little. When Harry stood up, he was surrounded by thick forest and was in a forest clearing with a single yew tree in the middle.

"Um, is there supposed to be a house here?"

Taking Harry by the shoulders, Snape said, "Do not take your eyes off of the tree." Then he made Harry walk towards it. After the fourth step, Harry felt as if he walked through an invisible barrier. Immediately, the tree had a house (more like a mansion) behind it, with a greenhouse on the side. The entire property was surrounded by a gate and had many flowers, most of them blue or purple. In front of the gate, inches away from Harry's face, stood a thin old woman with a giant stuffed vulture on a hat she wore. Behind and to the right of her was a small boy, about Harry's height, and likely his age.

"What was that?" Harry asked, looking around him. The old woman spoke up.

"That, Mr. Potter, is what it feels like to pass through a Fidelius Charm. My name is Augusta Longbottom and this is my grandson, Neville Longbottom. You will both be attending school together as first-years."

"Right." Severus greeted them, "Now, Harry hasn't been to Diagon Alley to get his things. Here is the key to his vault. Make sure that anything he buys has nothing to do with dark magic and will be used. Books are one thing I will bend on if it helps him learn useful spells others won't know. Make sure he gets an owl. I recommend he gets a wand holster for his wand arm."

"Anything else?" The aged woman asked. This is when Harry noticed that Neville appeared a little… nervous. Was he afraid of Snape?

"I don't think so. And Harry," He said, looking severely at him, "Do try not to do anything stupid." And with that final note, Snape semi-spun, disappearing with a SNAP!

-oOoOo-

The Mansion was, by Harry's standards, big. There were about seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, a library, and a sitting room. They weren't allowed to go into the library because Augusta was worried we may find a book of spells and hurt ourselves with it. There were lots of unfamiliar plants in the greenhouses. Neville loved to care for them. Many of them were thorny, which means that he cut his hands sometimes. Harry discovered that his abilities in growth magic allowed him to heal those cuts. Almost every day, Augusta made Harry train his ability to grow things. He advanced the growth of plants in the greenhouse and the flowers in the lawn. He noticed that he was getting faster at it.

At this time, Harry was also thinking about what Snape told him about his parent's deaths. He felt sadness, yes, but also anger. Why would he want to be powerful? And, why does he have to be evil in order to be powerful? Also, if he was so powerful, then why didn't he just send someone else to kill his parents, rather than do the deed personally? After all, the reason why he wanted to kill them so much was because they publicly resisted them. It would make more sense to use the pawns rather than the king, wouldn't it?

The weeks passed quickly and it soon became two days before September first. Harry awoke to the sound of Augusta yelling in a voice that reflected a powerful young woman, rather than a weak and aging one,

"Wake up! I want you up in fifteen minutes and downstairs!" They got there in five and served themselves breakfast. Augusta brought down two big book bags and was dressed in a green suit, big red handbag, and vulture-adorned cap. "We're going to Diagon Alley. Anything you can fit into one of those book bags are fair-game. Choose wisely."

With that, she strode out the door and we followed, grabbing a book bag each. Once leaving the gate of the mansion, Harry soon felt himself passing the wards. At the exact same time, Augusta stuck out her arms and said "Grab on." They did. One slight twitch later, Harry felt like he was being pulled through a straw again, and fell onto the ground afterwards. It wasn't getting any more comfortable for him. He could see that Neville took it only slightly better than he did. Augusta's voice rang out again, "Come on, Harry. You should be used to this by now."

"Yes, Augusta." Harry said.

"And don't talk to me like you're my slave."

"Alright." Harry said as he looked up. They landed in a pub that seemed to be filled with all sorts of strange people. Mostly people in hoods.

"Right this way." Augusta said boldly, firmly taking each by the hand and drilling through the crowd like human mining equipment. Harry felt himself brush a hand on the way, which almost immediately resulted in a hissing noise and a scream of pain. Harry looked back and saw a man in a violet turban. Augusta ignored it and plowed on. Given her attitude, Harry respected her as a leader and didn't complain. She took a door into a side-yard of sorts. It was enclosed by brick walls. Augusta walked right up to the furthest brick wall and poked a single brick with her wand. She went back to Harry and Neville, grabbing their hands just as the bricks in the wall started shifting. An archway opened up that was big enough to allow them through. Augusta went through before all of the bricks settled.

Harry couldn't help but intone, "Wow."

While plowing through the crowd, Augusta spoke to Harry. "Harry, this is Diagon Alley. In each shop we visit, I will let you explore a little after you get all of the materials you need from that store. But first, we must go to Gringotts to get our money."

With that, she led them directly into a Greek-looking bank that appeared as if it were held up by puppet strings. When they entered, Harry was shocked that there were strange, yet humanoid creatures in suits behind the counters like tellers. Augusta approached one of these tellers, told them that she was making withdrawals from the Potter and Longbottom vaults. They asked for a key and she showed them. Then they led them to an underground metal cart that was hooked up to a pair of rails. They sat in the cart and a teller pushed a big lever forward, forcing the cart to move forward at incredible speeds. Harry asked Augusta,

"What are the tellers?"

"Goblins, Harry, and they are clever. Never mess with a Goblin."

When on the way to the Longbottom Vault, Harry saw Snape stepping out of a cart in front of vault 317. He had the instinct to shout, 'Hello professor!', but his cart was going too fast. The ride was quick. They got their gold while Harry stayed in the cart. Then they went to Harry's vault. He didn't know what to expect, but he knew that his initial thoughts were blown completely out of the water. He gasped at a sea of what looked like gold, silver, and bronze. Augusta spoke up, remembering how Harry was raised.

"The bronze ones are Knuts, silver are sickles, and gold are galleons. It's no use wasting space on the bronze ones, just get a bunch of gold ones and let's go." Harry did what she said, but her 'wasting space' comment reminded her of the Dursleys and of Dudley, which made him think of how he isn't going to see him until next year. Now that was a thought. How much can happen to a person in a year? How much will happen to him in a year?

Of all of the things Harry could have felt at someone's 'wasting space' comment, homesickness wasn't a feeling he seemed likely to feel, but he did. Perhaps it was because Dudley had been his only friend -ever- before meeting Neville. Not even Dudley's friends liked Harry (which is why they didn't come to the zoo with them).

Augusta's "Hurry up, Harry!" Made him realize that he had been so deep in thought that he had begun to simply stand there, thinking. Coming to his senses, he stuck a few more handfuls of gold into his pockets. They got to the surface and shoved through the crowd once more, Neville looking a little green from the ride. They passed Snape, who stuffed a letter into Harry's pocket when they passed. On the letter, it said, " _Read alone, burn afterward, tell only those you trust, use it wisely."_

Maybe he would read it on the train. Harry looked around and no one noticed the letter. The first stop they made was at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. He got inside and a short, smiling woman wearing pale violet clothes asked,

"Hogwarts, dears? Got the lot here - another one being fitted up just now, in fact."

Harry walked in front of Augusta, Neville close behind. Soon, they were in the back of the shop and standing on stools with people sizing out clothes to fit them perfectly. There was a third person being fitted, this one a girl.

"Hello, who are you?" She said to Harry.

"Harry. Harry Potter."

Her eyes widened at this. "Are you, really? Well, my name is Hermione Granger. Who are you?" She asked Neville.

"Neville Longbottom."

"Nice to meet you, Neville. Harry, is everything I read about you true?"

"Read about me? What do you mean?"

"You don't know? No one ever told you? Harry, everyone in the wizarding world knows your name! You can't tell me you don't know why."

"Is it because of Voldemort?"

"Is that 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's' real name? All of the books I've read don't tell me his name."

"Yes. It is because of Voldemort and Voldemort is his name." Neville interjected. "How can anyone not know that? Wait….Were you born into a family of Muggles?"

"What's a Muggle?" Harry asked, thinking it was a derogatory term.

"Non-magic folk. You would probably call them 'normal' people." Neville quickly replied, using the Dursley's word for anything as boring, prideful, or stupid as them.

"Anyway." Interrupted Harry, "What have you read about me?"

"Lots of things. All of them different. It's darn near impossible to get a straight story. However, the two most widely supported stories I've read are that when Voldemort launched a spell at you, it collapsed, blew up your house and you with it. That is the most supported one because you were nowhere to be found and there's a giant hole in your house. The second most supported theory is that someone smuggled you out of the house after the incident and put you in hiding. Obviously, the second one is likely more true, but that brings up a huge question. How did you survive?"

"Sorry, Hermione, I can't remember." The group laughed at this.

"I can't believe I just laughed at a joke told by Harry Potter." Said Hermione, apparently awed.

"I'm very famous, aren't I?"

"You don't know the half of it." She said, smiling. A moment went by, and then, "By the way, do you have a scar on your forehead?"

"Yeah," said Harry, pushing up his hair to reveal a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. They just stared for a moment. Harry's face blushed and they looked away, laughing. When Harry was finished being sized, he and Neville fit their robes into their bags. Harry asked Madam Malkins;

"Do you sell any wand holsters?"

"Yes. Do you have a wand yet?"

"No."

"Well, the shape of every wand is different, so I will get you one when you have one."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear."

They went to Flourish and Blotts after that. Harry got all of the required books, then a book on light magic called, 'A Light in the Darkness: A Spell book of Light Magic' and another one on wandless magic called, 'A Complete Guide to Unaided Magic, book 1.' The last one, despite being a huge book, was slightly damaged and stuffed behind a massive pile of books in the 'half-off' section, only costing a Knut. The first one was much smaller, yet cost fifteen galleons. Augusta was actually surprised that the second book cost so little. Apparently books on light magic are hard to come by.

"Light magic may be powerful, but it is temperamental at best. Try anything more complicated than healing broken bones or casting a patronus and the spell will either not work or blow your target to smithereens, depending on how hard you're trying. Don't get into that book until you're absolutely sure you can handle it."

"OK, Augusta," Harry said, glad for the warning. He would hate to try to heal someone just to blow them up.

Next, they went to several other shops to get their potions supplies. Harry didn't really pay attention to it, as he was daydreaming about what he might find out about when he reads the book on wandless magic. Harry came to his senses when they entered a shop that sold wands called Ollivander's. Harry was waiting for this moment.

The inside of the store looked like a bunch of giant bookshelves stocked with long rectangular boxes and smelled like a mixture of wood shavings and fireplaces. A man walked out from behind one of these bookshelves and looked at us.

"Hello Augusta, nice to see you again. How's that wand suiting you?"

"Yes, Ollivander, and it suits me well. However, sometimes it doesn't cooperate, nor does something I hadn't expected."

Ollivander gave her the wand back, took out his own wand, cast a silent spell on Neville, who vainly flinched in surprise, and then went around the room, taking boxes out of their slots seemingly at random. As he was doing this, he began to speak about Augusta's wand and quickly diverged into a lecture.

"Yes, well, that's why I don't make wands with Veela hair anymore. If you aren't loyal to that wand and treat it badly, it rebels against you. People sitting on them, not using a proper dueling holster, not cleaning, repairing, or polishing them. Most people break their first wand like a stick just by sitting on it in their first year, and with a Veela wand, if you are inconsiderate enough to sit on it (and fail to break it), then it stops working properly for quite a while. Maybe it even blows something up. If I had a Veela wand, I would have probably gotten myself blown up trying to cast a simple spell just because of how many wands I handle every day. However, there is one interesting thing about Veela wands. If you are bonded to a Veela and have a wand with one of their hairs as its core, it never gets temperamental and is very powerful, getting more powerful the closer you are to your bondmate. Isn't that interesting?"

Not waiting for an answer, he moved on.

"Speaking of which. If ever one of you wants a wand made out of a specific core and with a specific wood, I will gladly oblige. Also, though I may not offer wands quite like it, I can create a wand with two or more cores mixed together, as long as each core is different. Of course, some cores don't work well with others. Dragon heartstring refuses to work with anything and kelpie hair will only work with the weaker cores."

Harry suddenly asked, engaged in the subject, "Are you able to take the core out of an old wand and then put that core and two other cores into a new wand?"

Ollivander, obviously pleased that someone showed interest, answered, "Yes. In fact, many would prefer it this way, as the personality of the old wand is mixed with the two new cores on top of those core's behavior when the cores are fused, making the transition easier."

"Do many people do that?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Either because they don't know about it or because they fear that their wand may be too hard to get used to anyway. It takes a great wizard to obtain the cores powerful enough, and those looking for the best effects retrieve them themselves in order to begin the magical bond between wand and wizard. However, those who are already great usually feel little need to reduce their power now for the purpose of having what turns out only to be a slightly more powerful, albeit interesting, wand in the future."

"What cores are there, exactly?"

"I can make a wand core out of anything from a magical creature, as long as it is long. However, if you are custom-making a wand, I highly recommend choosing cores whose origin creature has a personality similar to yours. Otherwise, you may find your new wand difficult to get along with or understand. It's the same with the wood, though I can supply that if you wish. The wood doesn't affect the power or behavior as much, but some have reported differences."

"Are there any other ways to make a wand more powerful?"

"You can't do anything special to that effect, but you can make it more reliable. I haven't done anything unique to my wand, but I made it myself, polish it once a week, and always keep it in a dueling holster except when I'm sleeping. If I did anything else to it, I wouldn't notice any big changes."

 **resume edits**

"Why are you willingly telling me all this? Aren't these supposed to be trade secrets or something?"

"Trade secrets? And I suppose you can't just take a class to find this out on your own? And if there was anything I were sure about, it is that you are going to come across at least a few unique magical creatures, some of which may be worthy of your second wand. What I want you to do, Harry, is to collect as many string-like materials from as many uniquely magical creatures as possible. Bag and label each one. I want to know which creature you get it from and what part of the creature it is. If you want a specific wood used, tell me or just bring me the wood, but make sure the wood is magical first. Also, it would make it much easier to bond the cores if you were able to extract a unique fluid of some kind from one of the creatures you harvest. Here, that'll help."

He gave Harry a rather large book called, "Ollivander's guide to wand cores and woods".

"Th-Thank-you, sir. Why are you doing all of this for me?"

"I suppose you are asking what I have to gain from all of this."

"Yes, sir."

"I want to further my research. I'm old and can't go get rare cores on my own, so I need someone to get them for me. Any cores and wood you don't need I will gladly take off your hands. In exchange, I will make your new wand for free. But, before you do anything about it, read the necessary pages of that book."

"Thank you," said Harry.

While this conversation had occurred, Ollivander had stacked up a couple dozen boxes in two neat pyramids. Harry's pile contained most of them. "Right, then. First Neville. What I want you to do is take each wand in front of you, one at a time, and give it a wave. I will tell you if it works."

"Sir, how did you know which wands to get down?" Asked Neville

"I cast a silent spell on each of you to allow me to sense your personality, and then I pick out all of the wands that have a similar personality."

"Cool." Neville replied.

Several broken vases, set fires, and disturbed book-shelves later, Neville got his wand.

"Good, Neville, good. That'll be seven galleons. Now, Harry, before you start on your pile, I want you to try this wand, as I feel you already have a connection to it." Oliver said, receiving payment for Neville's wand and giving Harry a wand. Harry waved the wand and it unleashed a small shower of gold and red sparks, rather than breaking something.

"Well, that certainly makes my job a whole lot easier." Ollivander remarked, raising his eyebrows at the pile of wands in front of Harry. He lazily waved his wand and they went back to their places on the shelves. Neville spoke up.

"S-s-sorry for breaking your vase several times."

"I don't think that there is a witch or wizard out there with one of my wands, excluding Harry, that hasn't broken that vase at least twice." Ollivander said humorously. "And, apology accepted."

Harry gave Ollivander seven Galleons, said goodbye, and then went to the Magical Menagerie.

 **AN: I have been told how many errors are in this first chapter. I found a lot, and changed them.**


	3. King Cobra, Unaided Magic, The DA

AN: "It's raining tacos!"

They entered the Magical Menagerie and were welcomed by an old witch, as well as a large number of bad smells and loud noises. At this time the shop had many people inside. The first thing that caught his eye was a glass box with a beautiful black, hooded snake he couldn't recognize. That slowed him down as he immediately began devising a plan to get Augusta to allow him to buy it. The next thing he noticed was an owl. This owl was mostly snow-white and looked amazing.

"Well, Harry," said Augusta. "Severus told me you can speak parseltongue," She held up a sheet of paper. "Which is very surprising indeed, and I know you might want a snake considering this and I'm not going to fight it. Just try not to buy one too big, okay? You still need to take it with you to Hogwarts. No Green Anacondas, understand?"

Harry was very surprised at this but didn't fight it, glad to be free to choose. Before buying the owl and snake, he went over to the snake to talk to it, grinning at how peculiar the situation was.

The snake seemed to be resting, but the flit of its tongue told Harry that it was still awake. As he approached, it opened its eyes and looked right at him.

"You taste different from other humans." It hissed at him, mostly to himself (as it was male).

"I would expect that, since I can talk to snakes." Harry replied. The snake blinked.

"You can talk to me?"

"Yes. Are you venomous?"

"Very." He said proudly, opening his mouth wide. Harry looked in awe, then said,

"If I get you out of here and let you out of the box, will you attack any humans?"

"Only if they attack me."

"Will you attack me?"

"Only if you attack me."

"What should I name you?"

"I already have a name. I am Thana."

"Very well. How would you like to leave this store, Thana?"

"I am cold inside this glass box. I don't want to be cold anymore."

"How about you wrap yourself around my chest to keep warm."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just don't try to squeeze too hard. I'll get you a big glass case with a warming spell as well."

"Thank you."

The real reason why Harry didn't just put him in a big warm glass case is because he only got to feel a snake's scales once. That, and he didn't like the idea of such a powerful thing being boxed up. These things should be free. Anyway, Harry bought Thana, ("That snake is a Black King Cobra. Try to be careful with it," said the witch.) And the snowy owl, which he named Hedwig, kept the owl in the cage, but unlocked the door for it. For some reason, it didn't fly away. Thana went inside Harry's robes (The witch at the front almost fainted and several people stared) and wrapped himself around his chest, only slightly restricting his breathing. His head was just under his throat and inside his cloak, positioned low enough so that no one can see him tasting the air, but high enough so that he could breathe. Don't want someone freaking out about a snake being down his shirt. Harry ignored his pleasant; "You're warm," Simply relishing this new and unique experience he was having. Luckily, his robes were baggy enough that Thana didn't stand out under them.

They continued on to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to get dueling holsters. There were several types of dueling holsters to choose from. One type was spring-loaded with a string that went around your middle finger. Another was a simple grab and release mechanism that you triggered just by flicking your arm. Another was one you would want to wear on your opposite wrist because you had to manually pull out the wand. Harry and Neville both got the one with the grab and release mechanism, since it was much faster than the simple holster and there was much less chance to drop the wand when compared to the spring-loaded holster.

Harry and Neville, now done with their shopping, practiced readying their wands in the shop. They worked well. After every time they readied their wand, they had to push it back up into the mechanism so that they could draw them again. It was fast and unlikely to activate accidentally if you punch something, since this one also had a string that held onto your index finger functioning as a safety. All you have to do is point your hand straight with your arm and flick it, and the wand is in your hand. The holster itself was encased in metal to protect the wand when not in use. When they left the store, Harry noticed a boy walk in with almost white hair and a scowl. Later they got ice cream and then went home.

-oOoOo-

Immediately upon entering the mansion, Harry took the giant glass box out of his bag, filled it with sand, put it on a downstairs bedroom table, and put Thana into it. He slid down Harry's left arm into the box like it was a ramp. He then took Hedwig's cage and set it next to Thana's box so that she could gain some warmth from it as well. Speaking to Thana, Harry said,

"I don't want you hurting this owl, Thana. And if other owls come to deliver mail, don't hurt them either. I don't care if you get out and roam free, but try not to kill Neville, Augusta, or Neville's toad. In fact, I would prefer that you didn't roam around the house, though you could roam around the room. Also, remember that there could be birds of prey outside, and black stands out among the bright green grass."

"Ok." Thana said.

"Hey, what does your name mean?"

"Death." Thana said, opening his dark green and slitted eyes. "What is your name?"

"Harry." He said simply. Thana closed his eyes

"Hello, Harry."

"Hello." He said, just before he left the room to take all of his other stuff into the bedroom. Then, he lay in bed and took out the letter Snape gave him in Gringotts. He read the note on the front again, made sure no one was around to spy on him, then lay on his bed, opened it and read it. As he was reading it, Thana came out of his box, got onto the bed and positioned himself next to Harry's head in such a way that allowed him to see the letter, too. This is what Snape wrote.

The Room of Requirement is on Hogwarts' seventh floor across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. To use it, walk past that spot three times thinking of what you need.

Absorbing this, Harry thought, 'Well, that gave me no mental picture. What's a Barmy, anyway? I guess I'll have to get to Hogwarts before I can know what they are talking about, which means if I burn this, I'll forget about it.'

That is why Harry ripped off any extra paper from the sheet before hiding it in his book on wandless magic as a bookmark. Thana curled up on the bed instead of going back to the box, likely preferring the soft blankets to sand, which didn't sound natural to Harry, but he went with it. Having the book in his hand and nothing else to do for the day, he began reading, 'A Complete Guide to Unaided Magic, book 1.' This is what it said.

Make no mistake. When we say 'unaided magic', we do not mean, 'any magic without a wand', we mean 'any and all magic that we can use without a tool to channel magic,' meaning that we are only dealing with magic that comes from us and is affected by no material before reaching its target or taking effect. All such magics are naturally non-verbal, as they do not require you to communicate to your channeling device, such as a wand, though those who have been chosen by a wand are capable of casting wand-based magic without a wand (given they have the necessary focus), as wands have been known to leave subtle magical imprints on those they bond with. We will be dealing first with unaided magic alone, focusing only on minor spells of each branch of unaided magic, and then move to using unaided magic in tandem with aided magic in the setting of a duel.

Before any of this, however, the reader needs to know that each spell inside this book not only can be modified to suit their needs, but take great amounts of concentration. One's thoughts must be bent on the spell and what effects you want the spell to have or it will either fail or change. There is no exception.

There are five branches of Unaided Magic: Light Magic, Nature Magic, Shadow Magic, and Soul Magic. Dark Magic is impossible with Unaided Magic and it seems that it can only come about when one uses a device to twist the magic coming from us into a different form. This suggests that Dark Magic is simply a twisted form of Light Magic or Shadow Magic. All Unaided magics can be mixed amongst each other for a broader range of effects for the caster's choosing.

For example, if you attempt to heal someone's cut, and go about it by thinking, 'I want to cause this man's skin to grow closed,' on top of recalling powerfully positive memories or feelings, then you would be using the healing aspect of Light Magic and the healing/growth aspect of Nature Magic in tandem. This would double the effectiveness of your spell. If the powerful feeling or memory you are recalling is loving by nature, then the spell can triple or quadruple in speed and be powerful enough to save someone from dying, even if they are only seconds from death. This doesn't include injuries that kill immediately, though you still can revive your target if you stimulate the heart with minor bursts of electricity, using the energy aspect of Nature Magic after healing their physical injuries. If you become skilled enough, the example above can be limited to just thinking the word 'grow with energy' and engulfing yourself with a near-euphoric sense of love for those being healed. This technique is highly difficult, but can be stimulated by a modified cheering charm, and when cast successfully has been confirmed to revive several victims at once whose bodies were in hundreds of pieces before the healing. The amount of concentration required, however, is so vast that it leaves no room for the caster to protect himself and the spell will be disrupted at the slightest distraction, ending all hope for those you wish to heal. Also, the spell must begin moments after death. Now, on to descriptions of the individual branches of magic

Light Magic is a branch of magic that is fueled entirely by positive emotion. The only limits to this branch are how powerful your emotions can get and your imagination. There is also the problem one faces when trying to destroy something with Light Magic, as it is nearly impossible to do this while keeping your mind untainted by negative emotions weakening your Light Magic spells in the background. Light Magic has two aspects besides typical Light Magic. The healing aspect and the pure aspect. The pure aspect itself has two of its own aspects besides typical pure magic. Self sacrificial magic and positive soul magic. Self sacrificial magic has a resurrection aspect, and positive soul magic has a soul-healing aspect and a resurrection aspect. We will not speak of resurrection magic in this book, as it allows for too many evil forces to return.

Nature Magic is a branch of unaided magic with five aspects. Energy Magic, Growth Magic, Water Magic, Fire Magic, and Wind Magic. It has been reported that Earth Magic is also included in this, but those reports did not allow for the consideration of an unaided form of levitation, which is a rare magic to develop and is so weak when unaided, it is almost not worth mentioning in this book. This magic is fueled by your imagination and sometimes even your life energy, though usually in small amounts. If you plan on using extreme amounts of Nature Magic, enchant yourself with this spell (Protectus Lifus). This spell causes you to faint before you use up enough life energy to kill yourself, causing the spell to fail and allowing you to recover. Nature Magic can be made more effective only by practice. Every magical human has the ability to use all kinds of Nature magic, but they must continue to use it in order to make their abilities more powerful.

Shadow Magic is a highly effective form of unaided magic, allowing many uses. Shadow magic has no aspects and is fueled almost entirely on your imagination, and can only be improved by practice. This branch of magic carries so much potential that its limits haven't been discovered by the time this book was written (1934). It is, however, the most difficult form of magic to develop unaided. Without aid, it could take months to be able to bend shadows. With aid, however, you could begin learning how to use Shadow Magic immediately. The two most common ways to aid yourself in this is to either witness the death of another without causing the death yourself or being imbued with shadows. It is important to note that you cannot murder another person before developing the ability to use Shadow Magic, as that would greatly inhibit your ability to develop it.

Soul Magic is a unique form of magic very closely related to Mind Magic. It is magic based off of empathic bonds between the magic-user and any conscious living thing. It cannot directly cause harm to another, but those who have bonded with others will experience negative effects when their bondmates die. This has been dubbed 'Separation'. The effects of Separation depend on the type of bond, and will be described in full when reading of those types. Though this particular branch of magic has already been naturally developed in every conscious life form, it is rarely used and is the most difficult, yet the most stable, form of magic to master. The most powerful naturally-occurring form of a Soul Bond is that of a veela. When bonded to a veela, all you need to strengthen the bond is for you and the veela to explore the bond together, and separation causes death between a few hours or a few minutes, depending on how powerful the bond is

Harry stopped reading there, excited. This book just laid it all out in front of him! He decided to explore Shadow Magic first. Rather than keep reading the book, Harry sat up in bed, stroked Thana, and looked at the shadows that were cast onto his bed by a tree outside. He figured that since he saw his mother die in front of him, he may have the ability to use it. He concentrated only on the shadow, imagining it lifting off the bed. It took a couple of minutes, but it worked. However, he didn't expect it to come off the way it did. Instead of coming off as a black leaf, it came off like small coils of black smoke. At first, he thought he had started to burn the bed, but this disrupted his concentration and the 'smoke' immediately stopped. When he had begun to pull the shadow up, the shadow on the bed became brighter, like he was depleting his supply of shadow. When his concentration was interrupted, the shadow almost immediately became dark as the rest again.

"That was a good first try," said Thana. "Try again."

"Maybe instead of trying to just lift the shadow, I should pull the shadow into my hand like a vacuum?"

"That would be best, because then you might be able to use it."

"Ok." Harry said, trying again. It took only a couple of seconds this time. The shadow came off just like smoke and went quickly to his hand and formed into a ball of black smoke-like shadow. However, since he was focusing on the shadow of the whole tree, the tree's entire shadow was pulled and stuffed into this now extremely dense package of shadow. Harry felt it humming with energy. He had to let it go. Just then, Neville walked in, saying,

"Hey, Augusta wants to teach us about some…. What is that?"

"It's a ball of shadows."

"How do you do that?" Neville said, causing Harry's mind to race. Recalling what the book said, he decided to aid Neville in learning about shadow.

"Catch this." Harry commanded, tossing the ball to him. Instead of obeying gravity, the dense ball went straight forward and hit an unprepared Neville in the stomach. When it hit him, the ball released its shadows, making a WOOOSH! Sound, like a fireball, and spewed smoky shadows everywhere, slightly darkening the room for a moment. When this happened, Neville said "Whoa!" and ducked a little too late.

"What was that?" Neville asked seriously.

"It takes a very long time to develop the ability to control shadow unless you have watched someone die without killing them yourself or have been hit with a ball of shadow. I don't feel anything different. What do you feel?"

"My bones are tingly." Neville said, repeatedly opening, closing, and shaking his hands.

"Awesome. Let's begin learning how to use it."

-oOoOo-

Two days later, Harry and Neville were called to wake up by Augusta, got ready, and left for Hogwarts. For the past two days, Neville and Harry had been studying how to use shadows by reading the book and applying the concepts. They got pretty far, for two days of constant study, but barely made a dent in the material. About a fourth of this 1,500 page book is dedicated to Shadow Magic and even then the detail is vague. Harry told Neville about the Room of Requirement and they both agreed that they should use it to study this and other forms of magic with others, as soon as they could find it. With Growth and Water Magic, however, they decided to use the Hogwarts grounds.

Harry and Neville had both traveled by floo powder for the first time, and nothing serious went wrong. Harry went first. Thana was wrapped around Harry's chest and Hedwig was in her cage. They were late and the train left moments after they got there. As a result, every compartment had at least one person in it. They found a compartment with only one person in it, a girl. Harry thought that she looked extremely familiar. Neville asked,

"Do you mind if we sit with you?"

"No," was her quiet answer. She leaned against her arm, watching the scenery move by. They sat down and she looked at them.

Harry recognized her, "Oh! Hello Hermione."

She looked at them, eyes widened, "Hey, you! You're Harry Potter, and you're…."

"Neville Longbottom." He said quickly.

"Ah, yes, Neville. So, what happened after our meeting in Malkin's?"

"Harry got a snake, we got our -"

"Whoa! Harry! A snake?" She said in part wonder, part curiosity. Seeing the box, "But, did you lose it? Or are you not taking it to school?"

"No. Do you want to know where I have it?"

"Yes."

"Neville, can you shut the compartment door -"

A voice came up from the hallway, "Wait, wait!" A boy with red hair and many freckles showed up at the door, out of breath and gasping for air, "Wait...Can I….. Sit in your compartment?"

"Is that alright with you, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Of course."

Harry began again, "Cool, so close the door and pull the blinds, Neville" He did so.

"What is your name?" Harry asked.

"Ron."

"Ron. Do you know how to keep a secret?"

"I have loads of brothers and a sister. Keeping secrets is something I do every day."

"Very well, but I'll curse you if you tell anyone about this." Harry threatened, now very serious. Ron gulped.

"Uh, OK." He said. Hermione was beginning to wonder what the secret was. Harry spoke again

"Good. Now, what I want you to do is remain calm. He is poisonous, but he is also a living being, and I want you to treat him with the same respect you would treat a human. Understand?"

Hermione caught on. "Wait, do you mean the snake, Harry?"

"Yes." Ron seemed to relax a little,

"Oh, well, by the way you said 'he' and 'poisonous', I figured you had a pet spider or something. Glad that's not the case."

Harry spoke to Thana, "Come out of my cloak, Thana." Hermione and Ron gasped, Neville knew that he was a parseltongue, but hearing it was still strange. The king cobra came out through the opening of the neck, sliding across Harry's shoulders until he could rest comfortably on them. Thana said,

"Gripping your chest all the time takes too much effort. My muscles hurt." It only registered to the other three as a pattern of hisses.

"Harry, you're a parselmouth!" yelled Ron.

"SHH!" Hermione complained, "You aren't to be telling people!"

"Uh….Oh. Sorry." Ron said, face turning about the same shade of red as his hair.

"Um….Does she have a name?" Hermione asked.

"Thana." Harry replied. Hermione's eyes widened.

"You named him Death?"

"No, that was already his name. You wanna hold him?" Ron was violently shaking his head, but Hermione seemed curious.

"I think so."

"Hermione, did you know that that is a king cobra?" Ron warned

Hermione's eyebrow arched at him, "Yes, I also know that Harry is a parselmouth and that snakes don't usually attack humans without being threatened. Speaking of which, can you calm down?"

Ron took a breath and Hermione held out her hand, palm down. Harry said to Thana, "She wants to hold you."

Thana replied, "Ok." He slithered onto Hermione's arm. She gasped and grew incredibly still.

To Hermione, Harry said, "Try not to excite him." and to Thana he said, "If you feel uncomfortable, just come back to me." Hermione started to giggle and her face turned red. In an awed whisper, she said,

"Oh, wow this is so cool."

That seemed to calm down Ron, who asked a question. "Hey Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have a lightning-shaped scar on your forehead?"

"Yes."

"Cool." He said smiling a little. "I can't believe I'm sharing a compartment with Harry Potter."

"I can't believe I'm holding his snake." Hermione said silently.

"Hold your arm out to me," said Harry. She did.

To Thana, Harry said. "Come to me, Thana." And he did so, but instead of resting on Harry's shoulder, he used his shoulder to lift himself up to his glass box and settled inside of it, saying, "I'm tired."

"You can open the shade and compartment, Neville."

"Ok."

Harry spoke to the group. "Would you guys like to make a club that studies unique forms of magic together?"

Hermione and Ron, convinced that Harry was an extremely powerful wizard, were immediately intrigued.

Ron spoke up, "Sure, but how are we going to hide it from the other teachers?"

"They are not going to stop us from studying, but I don't plan on telling them anytime soon, except for maybe McGonagall. This is going to be a very exclusive study group, so I intend on getting her to give me a sheet of paper that is cursed, anyone who signs their name on it and then tells someone that doesn't have their name signed on it get the full effects of the curse."

"But, how are we going to tell new people about it?"

"I'm going to be the teacher, so I'm not signing the paper."

"Well, why be so secretive about it when we're likely to get caught? All someone has to do is walk into the wrong room at the wrong time." Ron said, thinking.

"I know where the Room of Requirement is." Harry stated plainly. Ron just gave a blank look, but Hermione gasped.

"I know what that is! Where is it?"

"I'm not telling you until you sign the paper I've mentioned."

Hermione looked slightly disappointed, but quickly recovered, "OK."

"Yeah, but what is the room of requirement?" Ron asked.

"It's a room that gives you everything you need -" Hermione began.

"Including space, targets, and books to practice and teach magic." Harry interrupted.

"Wow!" Ron said. "So, do you have a lesson plan?"

"Not really. I want to have focus on combat and defense against the dark arts, though, as well as exploring the neglected field of Unaided Magic."

"When are you going to make it happen?"

"As soon as possible. I want to hold it from 8-10 Saturday mornings."

The room became silent for a moment as its occupants were thinking about what they could study in the class. Hermione spoke,

"What is your first lesson going to be on?"

"Introduction into Unaided Magic. I will also be allowing you guys to cast shadow magic."

"What is Unaided Magic?"

"It's magic that you use without help from a device or enchantment."

"Like without a wand?"

"Yes."

"Wow. Now I really want to attend. What are you going to name the club?"

"Probably the Defense Academy or something."

The conversation broke into specifics on it. Hermione noticed Harry's broken glasses and cast 'oculus repairo!' on them. A woman with a bunch of candy on a trolley asked, 'Anything off the trolley, dears?' Harry bought all of them sweets, but only bought a single, over-sized lollipop for himself, preferring the long-lasting flavor to the quick pleasures. However, at Ron's pushing, he also bought a single chocolate frog. He opened it and the chocolate frog hopped onto the glass. Thana was too quick for it, striking it with venom. The frog stumbled a little, but as it wasn't a living thing, it didn't die, and quickly hopped out the window. Thana made a wretched hissing sound that sounded like a strange form of growling.

"That's not a frog!" He said, shaking his head as if he was trying to shake the chocolate out of her mouth. Bits of chocolate flew everywhere. "That was disgusting! How can you eat such poison?"

A voice in the distance sounded. "Whoa! A chocolate frog just jumped into our window!" Harry paled and was hit with an adrenaline rush. The wind going around the train must have pushed the poisoned frog into another compartment. Harry got up, ran out of the compartment down the train, hysterically yelling,

"DON'T EAT THAT FROG! IT'S POISONED!" Well, that got the response he was looking for. Someone in the next compartment over asked loudly,

"What?! How can it be poisoned?"

Harry entered the compartment, beholding an extremely blonde, pale boy holding up and looking at a chocolate frog that was in the palm of his hand

"Do you see the two small bite marks? Those are fang marks. The juice coming out of it is a king cobra's snake venom."

The boy tossed it out the window hard; making sure it wouldn't get sucked in by the train's slip-stream. "Thank you for that. I wouldn't want to just get to Hogwarts to be poisoned. Anyway," and then he motioned to the two people accompanying him, "This is Crabbe and Goyle. I'm Draco Malfoy. Who are you?"

"Harry Potter." Malfoy's head turned sideways a little.

"Are you, really?"

"Yes."

"Do you still have the scar?"

"Yes," said Harry, now regretting telling them his name, as well as noticing a pattern in the conversations he starts.

Crabbe spoke up, "Wait, how did you know the frog was poisoned?" Malfoy seemed surprised at the intelligence shown in this question. Harry answered plainly.

"My snake bit it, thinking it was a real frog."

Malfoy grabbed on to this detail,

"Do you like snakes, Harry?"

"I wouldn't have one if I didn't."

"What house do you think you are going to be in?"

"House?"

"You don't know about the houses?"

"No."

"Well, there's Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. Slytherin is the best house, having those who are cunning and able to gain power. Hufflepuff are basically the pack mules and sidekicks of Hogwarts. Ravenclaw is where all the study geeks and nerds are. Gryffindor is renowned for their courage, but everyone knows that they're just cannon fodder."

Harry's opinion of this boy plummeted. The pride and ignorance required to make this highly general and offensive assessment rivals that of the Dursleys. He decided to slowly separate himself from him. "I don't know, but I guess we'll find out soon enough. Maybe if I get into Slytherin we can be friends?"

"How did you know I was going to Slytherin?"

"The way you described the houses." Harry said, walking away.

Harry didn't hear from him for the rest of the train ride. When he got back to his compartment, all three of the others were looking at him with bated breath.

"No one got poisoned." Harry said. Immediately everyone let their breath go, probably not realizing that they were holding it.

"Who got the frog?"

"A boy named Malfoy." Ron grinned at this.

"That's a funny name."

"Yeah." He went back to his chocolate frog box. There was a card inside. "Hey, who is Albus Dumbledore?"

"Headmaster of Hogwarts. Very powerful wizard. He's the only one You-Know-Who ever feared."

"Tell me about the Hogwarts houses."

"Well-" They all began at once. Hermione said, "You first." to Neville, who began.

"Um, yeah. So, there's Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Gryffindor is where the courageous and active go. Ravenclaw is where the geniuses go. Hufflepuff are of the loyal and just. Slytherin are the cunning and clever."

Ron piped up, "Yes, I couldn't have said it better. In the opinion of my parents, there isn't a witch or wizard who has gone bad who wasn't in Slytherin. The Malfoys are Slytherins and so was You-Know-Who."

Harry's emotions grew cold at this. Harry didn't want to be in Slytherin. He didn't want to be like Voldemort. He also didn't want to be like Draco. No, if he was put in Slytherin, he would rather leave the school than watch himself become corrupted by the other Slytherins. He could study magic on his own. He was brought back to the conversation by an exchange between Hermione and Ron, starting with Ron.

"I heard that we would have to wrestle a troll to be sorted into our houses."

"No, actually they put a hat on your head and it looks into your mind then tells you which house you're going to."

"How can you possibly know that?"

Hermione got her book bag down from above her and pulled out several books. "I read books."

Harry commented, "That's a lot of books you don't need."

"And I suppose you only have books you do need?"

Harry was embarrassed at this, "Actually, I bought a book on Light Magic and a book on Unaided Magic that has a focus in combat."

Hermione immediately forgot about Harry's offense, "May I see them?" Harry obliged. She looked over the small one on Light Magic only briefly, saying, "Too complicated." then opened the one on Unaided Magic and began reading. Eventually, she said, "Hmm. Interesting concepts."

Harry, hoping to focus the first lesson of the Defense Academy, asked, "Is there any particular branch you wish to learn about?" This made Hermione glow.

"All of them! I want to learn this whole book! Harry, promise me you'll get through this whole book in your lessons!"

"I'll try to get through the part focused purely on unaided magic by the end of the year, but no promises. This is a lot of material to cover."

"Will you cover all of it?"

"I'll try."

"What branch of magic are you going to be focusing on first?"

"Shadow Magic."

Hermione looked peeved at this, "But it takes months to develop the ability to use it!"

"No, it will only take a few moments."

Hermione was confused, "But….who here has seen death? Or have you met someone that's hit you with shadows?"

"When Voldemort-" Everyone except Hermione flinched

"Oi!" Ron said, instantly angry, "Don't say his name!"

"But what's wrong with -" Hermione began, and was interrupted by Harry who was addressing Ron.

"I'm sorry, Ron, but I am not going to respect the murderer of my parents by fearing him, let alone his name." That made Ron be quiet. He sat there for a few seconds, thinking about what Harry said, then nodded. "Sorry, mate. I didn't know that's what we were doing."

"'S all right, Ron. Now, when Voldemort killed my parents, I saw death without causing it. That gave me the ability to manipulate shadows, though I hadn't activated it until two days ago, and since then I had been training to use it with Neville."

"Wait, how'd Neville get the ability to use shadows?" Ron asked.

Hermione answered, "You can develop the ability quickly if you witness a death you hadn't caused or are blasted with harmless shadows that have no effect on you."

"So, you threw shadows at Neville?" Ron asked. Harry nodded

"Can you do that to us?" Hermione asked.

Harry turned to Neville, "You've been quiet all this time, what do you think?"

Neville seemed thankful for Harry's consideration, "I don't see a problem with it. Just don't blast anyone else. We don't want any untrained shadow mages killing people on accident." Harry agreed and gathered the shadows, blasting them both.

"Now, do not hurt anyone with your ability. If I find you ever do, I will speak to Dumbledore and he will determine the proper punishment for your actions." They gulped, "Now, here's how you use shadow."

All right, what do you think of that chapter? Is the book going well? Do you have any suggestions for the future of this series? Does it suck? Tell me!


	4. The Sorting, Training, The Troll

AN: "Use the force, Gandalf!" - Lex Luther, yelling at Hodor from easternmost Hogwarts spire just before being blown up by a creeper with six fingers on its right...

Harry, Thana, Ron, Hermione, and Neville exited the train together, greeted by a big, bearded man at the front of the train, yelling "Firs' years! Firs' years, this way!" and waving his hands.

Thana, curled around Harry, said, "That man is too loud." A comment that Harry ignored, not wanting to spread that he was a parselmouth too fast. He actually liked the big man. His kind eyes gave him a gentle-giant look. When all of the first-years gathered in front of him, he introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. He seemed to be looking for someone in the crowd until his eyes landed on Harry. He smiled, nodding.

"Everyone! Four to a boat! Let's go!" He said, moving into the crowd, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder, and moved him to the front of the group next to him, walking down to a lake with a harbor and several small boats. Harry looked back to his friends, who appeared very confused. Hagrid and Harry sat in their own boat (which happened to be slightly bigger than the others). Hagrid shouted "FORWARD!" when all of the first years were in their boats. Hagrid waited for a couple of minutes and then said, "I remember when you were just a wee lad, Harry." This perked Harry's interest.

"Really?"

"Well, yeah, but ye might not remember me. I took you from yer house after You-Know-Who an' took you to yer Aunt n' Uncle's on a motorcycle."

"Hey! I had a dream about a motorcycle! It flew!" This made Hagrid laugh

"Yep, that was the motorcycle I was just talkin' abou'."

That made Harry absolutely sure that he liked this man, but it also reminded him of another topic. "Who dropped me off at the Dursleys?"

"Er, well I brought ya', but Dumbledore is the one that decided you should be there. McGonagall said that the Dursleys were the wors' a muggles, and I was really torn between what ter do. The moment Professor McGonagall got yer letter she almost showed up at yer house to torture yer Aunt n' Uncle to death. I was flaming mad when I read it, had to isolate myself in the forest fer a while. So, just to appease me, Dumbledore said you n me could have a little chat about questions you may have of our world an' I'll answer 'um. He also gave me the letter you sent to start things off."

Hagrid took out the crumpled envelope and began reading what Harry wrote. He kept his face calm and started asking questions.

"I hope you know what Hogwarts is now?" Harry nodded. "OK, what about how your parents died?" Harry nodded. Hagrid looked relieved at this. "Do you want us to take you away from the Dursleys?"

"Actually that will be welcome." Hagrid nodded, looked at the bottom of the letter, and looked worried again.

"Y-Ye got all yer stuff, right?" Harry nodded, relieving Hagrid's stress. Another look at the paper made his eyes widen, "How can ye not know 'bout flyin' brooms?"

"Did you just say _flying_ brooms?"

"Why yes, I sure did! Have ya never heard of Quidditch?" Harry shook his head; Hagrid looked astounded at first then looked up and said, "Duck!" Harry looked behind himself and saw moss hanging over an opening in a rock. He ducked and the moss slid over him. Hagrid said, "It looks like we need to cut this conversation short, Harry. After you get to yer house and know where it is n' all, make sure to see professor Dumbledore in the great hall, which is the big place with four tables. He wants to speak with you."

Hagrid got out of the boat and knocked on a huge set of double doors. They immediately opened to reveal a rather severe-looking woman in emerald green robes wearing her hair in a tight bun.

"You're late." She said to Hagrid. "Follow me." She said to the first years. We followed, Hagrid stayed behind. She led us directly into a set of massive double doors on our right and opened them, revealing the Great Hall. It was….well….great. Huge, in fact. All of the first years entered the great hall, anticipating what was to come. There were four very long tables with different colors, likely house colors, and, in the very back, there was another table with a bunch of experienced-looking witches and wizards, the center of which Dumbledore sat. Harry was also able to pick out Professor Snape, as well as the man with the turban that he ran into in the Leaky Cauldron. Suddenly, his scar flashed in blinding pain, briefly forcing him onto his knee. Getting up again, someone behind him grabbed his shoulder,

"Are you ok?" It was Neville.

"Yea. Fine. Thank you." Harry said absently, wondering why his scar was hurting. Looking back up at the table, Harry could see Snape giving him a worried look. McGonagall put a stool in front of Dumbledore's elevated spot at the table, then put an old hat on the stool, saying.

"I will put this hat on your head, it will look into your mind, and you will each be sorted into your houses. Keep in mind your defining characteristics, as well as what houses you favor, because this will decide what house you are sorted into. I will remind you that Gryffindor house is a house for the courageous. Slytherin house is for the cunning. Hufflepuff house is for the loyal and just. And Ravenclaw house is for the intelligent." And the sorting began.

Harry found Hermione and told her to choose Ravenclaw. "Ok, Harry." She said, looking nervous.

McGonagall got down the list of people to sort and eventually got to "Granger, Hermione."

She ran to the stool, jammed the thing onto her head and squinted as if it hurt. The hat looked as if it was about to say something the moment it touched her head, but paused, seemed to frown, then yelled out; "RAVENCLAW!" -cheers from the Ravenclaw table. Many stood up to shake her hand before she sat down. A few more names were called as Harry looked at the ceiling. Wonder how they did that?

"Potter, Harry!" The room filled with curious whispers and all eyes were searching the crowd of first years. Professor McGonagall was staring directly at Harry. So was Dumbledore. Harry hesitated before moving forward, considering every likely outcome. He slowly stepped forward. When he broke from the crowd, all eyes were drilling holes into him. Everything he did today would be remembered, all because he was at the right place at the right time to kill Voldemort without lifting a finger. He wouldn't go to Slytherin or Hufflepuff, he knew that. His loyalty only went as far as the truths he knew and he wasn't interested in taking control through deception, though he knew he was highly capable of doing so. He killed Voldemort, had a thing for deadly animals, wasn't affected by the opinions of others, frequently broke social boundaries, and was willing to topple a great character in public in order to see justice be done, giving Gryffindor a chance at him. But there was one thing he had in common with Ravenclaw that he didn't have in common with Gryffindor; a supreme thirst for knowledge. He hungered to know everything there was to know about everything. He had for a long time. It seems that the book he skimmed over on Unaided Magic had resurrected a long-dead passion for knowledge, but not just for magic. He wanted to know about Voldemort. He wanted to know about the dark forces, and destroy them using this knowledge. He knew that nothing could sway him from this. That is why it surprised him when he put on the hat and it didn't immediately put him in Ravenclaw.

A voice spoke in his ear, "You obviously have good reason to despise Slytherin, given your past. Hufflepuff isn't for you; you are too different from them. Gryffindor holds great promise for your future, something you should consider. Ravenclaw has the thirst you seek, but the level to which you seek it is that of a Gryffindor. Ravenclaw would help you on the way to greatness, there's no doubt about that, but you would be accepted wholeheartedly in Gryffindor, while Ravenclaw would attempt to study you, finding you an object of science rather than an actual person."

Harry thought in his head, "I do not want to be welcomed by Gryffindor, and I already have friends to welcome me in Ravenclaw. Let them study me and criticize me, for I will grow in the face of adversity and become great because of it."

This seemed to impress the hat, though only a little, saying, "What a very Gryffindor thing of you to say, Harry."

"RAVENCLAW!"

Cheers came loudest from Ravenclaw. Thana twitched under Harry's cloak, making him comfortable. Harry shook several people's hands before sitting down next to Hermione. Everyone was looking at him. Someone asked him if he preferred a board-game. He said chess. Many people smiled at this. Chess was a game many of them liked. He said, "When we get to our house, I have an announcement for the first year Ravenclaws, though I won't be back for a while. Can you guys pass it on to the rest of the table?" Hermione looked at Harry questioningly. "It's about the DA."

"Oh." She said, looking excited again, then quickly asked in a whisper, "Why did you trust us so quickly on the train?"

"It is how I got Dudley to be my friend. I showed him magic and he was so amazed that he wanted to be a part of my life, and then I threatened that he would never see anything like it again if he betrayed me. He never did. Eventually, we started talking about our feelings about Vernon and Petunia, and that's when he started respecting me and considering me his friend, abandoning his friends at school for me. It's all about trust, Hermione. If I trust you with one of my most sensitive secrets, the surprise and unique pleasure of being considered one of the few to know this secret will be what motivates you from making it common knowledge."

"But it opens you up to betrayal. How can you -?"

"Hermione, the very fact that you are saying this tells me that you will not betray me." This made her blush. Dumbledore stood to make announcements. They were warned about the Forbidden Forest, the third-floor corridor, and first-years not having brooms. They had a feast and were led to the Ravenclaw common room. The door asked a question.

"What form does shadow take when it becomes physical?" This stumped everyone.

Harry answered, "Black, scentless smoke."

"Indeed." It said, swinging open. Many people looked at him curiously.

Harry went back to the Great Hall, but not before telling Hermione to have the first years wait for an announcement from him. Dumbledore was waiting for him in front of the doors. He had a twinkle in his eye when he smiled, and he smiled when he saw Harry. "Hello, Harry. I have been informed that you are planning on forming a club."

"And how do you know that?"

"I have my sources."

"Well….yes. Can you help me with that?"

"How?"

"I don't know where the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy is."

"Oh, that's on the seventh floor, just up those stairs." He said, pointing at the moving staircases.

"Also, I need you to enchant a piece of paper that people will sign. When they sign the paper, if they tell anyone other than those who have signed the paper about the location of the club, they get cursed."

Dumbledore smiled, "And I suppose that location is on the seventh floor across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy?"

"Um….Yes."

"Very well. You know, I once found a room full of chamber pots on that very same floor. I could never find it again." He said, still smiling. He pulled out a piece of parchment and his wand, whispering incantations. "You will find that those that sign this cannot speak of that location when talking about this club. Do you have any other questions?"

"Who is that man in the turban?"

"That is our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell."

"Do you have anything to tell me, professor?"

"Yes. I have a feeling that Voldemort is going to try to return."

"Why?"

"To come back to power. And, even if he doesn't, Voldemort had many followers that are still loyal to him."

"So, what you're telling me is to be careful?"

"Yes. I suppose you have an announcement to make?"

Harry had to think about this, and then realized he was talking about the meeting with the Ravenclaw first years, "Yes."

"Off to it, then." He said, smiling again. Harry went back up to the Ravenclaw common room. He was asked,

"What color is the absence of color?"

"That depends on your perspective. If you count clear as a color, then clear. If you count what light is absorbed by an object as color, then the answer is white. If you count what light is reflected by an object as color, then the answer is black."

"You're on a roll!" it said, and then opened. He was met by a crowd of first years, a few second years, and one or two third years. All of them were staring at him. He was surprised that so many people showed. He supposed he should begin immediately.

"Hello. As you all may know, my name is Harry Potter. I want to make an exclusive club that learns about forms of magic they do not teach in school. I have found an amazing resource at this school that will allow me to do just that and I have the support of our headmaster to make the club. It will function less as a club and more as a fun class that we can secretly explore forms of magic that other people couldn't even imagine carrying out. The class will have focuses on defending yourself, light magic, unaided magic, and dueling. If you are not interested, please go to bed." Harry waited for a few seconds. A couple of people went upstairs. Some were looking at him with curiosity, others jealousy, others envy. Some even looked at him in humor. Harry spoke up again, "Are there any questions?" Every hand in the room except Hermione's rose into the air.

After picking one, the girl it belonged to asked, "Are there any restrictions on type of magic?"

"No dark magic of any kind, and no hurting others on purpose. I can heal you, but I would hate for one of you to die. I expect all of you to be responsible in your learning. If anyone proves themselves not to be ready for such a class, I will immediately have Dumbledore erase any memory of these meetings from that person's mind and they will not be allowed to attend ever again. Do I make myself clear?" He got many nods, and many of the humorous faces changed to respect.

He picked another hand, "When is it being held?"

"I was thinking on every Saturday morning from 8-10."

He picked another hand, "Where is the class being held?"

"I cannot tell you today. On Saturday morning, meet here and I will take you to the location."

Picked another hand, "How do we join?" This made all of the other hands, except one, lower. It made Harry smile.

"Sign your name on this parchment." He said, placing the parchment on a table next to him. "By the way, before you sign it, know that it is cursed. If you sign this parchment, you can attend our meetings, you can even tell your friends, but you cannot betray our location. If you do, a number of negative things will happen to you."

"What negative things?" Someone interrupted.

"I don't know, Dumbledore never told me." This earned him a lot of wide-eyes and whispers.

He picked the last hand, "What will our first lesson be about?"

"Shadow magic, which is a form of magic you can use without anything to help you out and has a potentially infinite number of uses. Any other questions...? Very well, if you wish to join the club, sign this piece of parchment. If I ever need to change the time for the meeting or simply cancel it, I will post announcements on the board. I will accept a maximum of twenty members until I become sure I can handle more." Fourteen people signed the parchment, which was everyone in the room but Harry. After they signed, Harry took the parchment and everyone went to bed. He found his stuff next to a bed, covertly placed Thana inside his box, pet Hedwig, and lay on his bed, thinking about the day. The adrenaline rush he got from speaking to a bunch of people was wearing off. Eventually he went to sleep, but he was still thinking. His mind was never quiet.

-oOoOo-

That week, he studied shadow magic deeply, and discovered that it was more useful at killing things than anything else. However, there were a few techniques that actually saved lives instead of killed them. He found that if he twirled the shadow in his palm into a cone that faced outward, the shadow would attract and absorb any spells coming from that general direction. That would be useful to teach. After some experimentation, he discovered that this cone will need to be constantly supplied with shadow in order to neutralize more and more spells, but if the shadow becomes saturated with spells, it lets off a blinding flash of light. Another thing he would teach.

You can wreath a target in shadow, effectively blinding them. A strong wave of shadow can knock your opponents over. Hermione helped him practice these, taking turns learning them. Ron and Neville were included in these practices as well. They practiced in the Room of Requirement. When he thought, "I need a place to learn and teach Unaided Magic." It gave him a perfectly flat forest clearing with a random bookshelf full of books at the edge of it. Harry guessed that the room knew that he would need to practice growth magic.

Quirrell was missing his left hand. When asked, he said that he lost it to a vampire. Harry's image around the school stayed mysterious, and no one but his friends knew about him being a parselmouth. He was talented in every subject, favoring Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. The only one who seemed better than him in most classes was Hermione, who helped him frequently, something that he appreciated. Harry was able to snag a few Gryffindors for the DA that Friday morning, maxing out his twenty students. His first lesson was eventful. Several students took the shadow cone trick and used it as a tool to block spells during a duel, freeing up their wands to retaliate, though most of them only knew one or two spells, it being the first week of school. This trend continued throughout his lessons. His students learned a trick and took it one step further.

It amazed him how quickly they learned. His students took the concept of rooting, which is using the nearly infinite amount of shadows underground by sucking it up through their legs and into their hands for use, and combined it with the spell-siphon trick they learned on their first lesson. This bypassed a key weakness of the spell siphon, which is that it takes a lot of shadows to neutralize powerful spells, meaning that the siphon quickly wore off under a barrage of spells from the enemy. However, with rooting, the siphon regenerates much quicker, allowing oneself to focus only on siphoning spells, which stops the enemy from directly harming them, as their dueling partner fires spells at them without mercy, as they are protected by their partner's siphon. The best the enemy could hope for in these situations is a tie.

It soon became common knowledge that Harry was holding these classes, yet the location mysteriously remained a secret. His classes swelled to forty kids within the first three weeks, including all first years, except for those in Slytherin. Who knows how they would use this knowledge? The high-point of his class was when Dumbledore himself appeared to observe him reviewing all that he had taught them. The fact that a first year had done this didn't escape anyone. Several instances around the school occurred where students used shadow magic, which increased the fame of his classes. By the beginning of October, he had to begin to reject several people, most of them third-year or above, because his classes were getting too big (55 and counting). However, he did tell them that he might be adding another class to be held from 10 -12 on Saturdays, something that they greatly appreciated.

Thana, Harry's King Cobra, turned out to not be a normal King Cobra, which explains why it was in Diagon Alley in the first place. At first Harry figured that it was an adult by size. He realized that he was terribly mistaken, because within the first three weeks of school, he was too big for the box Harry had for him and his growth wasn't slowing. Getting food for him was a hassle, and the waste was worse. So, he just decided one day that he was going to set it loose in the forbidden forest. Doing that wasn't very easy, and was even less secret. By the time Harry decided Thana needed to get out of Hogwarts, it was about 15 feet long and as wide as a grown man's thigh. He did it early in the morning, about 4:00AM, hoping to avoid drawing attention to himself, but by breakfast, everyone knew he was a parselmouth, had a giant snake, and that the snake was now in the forbidden forest. By lunch, he had been declared by the general population of Hogwarts as the heir of Salazar Slytherin. Despite the results he expected, it simply made his classes that much more appealing.

This especially appealed to the Slytherins, and he was daily barraged by them, asking for a position in his classes. He asked Dumbledore to search their minds. He found no one who wouldn't use it in a negative way, so none of the The Slytherins were allowed in his classes. Malfoy seemed particularly upset by this, as he began to turn the The Slytherins against him.

Harry was greatly interested in the warning about the third-floor corridor almost instantaneously. It ended in a door that was locked. A few days later, with a little reading he found a spell that let him unlock the door. "Alohomora" was all that was required and the door opened for him. Inside was a huge three-headed dog. This reminded him of a very useful type of magic he could use to bond with it, namely Soul Magic. It took a while, about a week, but he was eventually able to feel its feelings and allow it to feel his feelings. The dog felt very depressed that he was locked up so long. He used the same type of magic to allow thoughts to pass between him and Thana, which allowed him to wander deeper into the forest. Harry asked Hagrid about the three-headed dog, who said,

"How did you know about Fluffy?"

"Oh, he's yours?"

"Well, o'course he is!"

"Why is he in the castle? He should be in the forbidden forest!"

"Because I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the, uh…."

"Yes?"

"I shouldn't a told ya that."

"Hagrid, I have a reason to believe that someone is going to try to get whatever fluffy is guarding, and I need you to tell me what it is so that I can help guard it."

"Oh there ain't nothin' gonna get past fluffy. You don't need ter worry your head."

Changing the subject slightly, "Ok, just trying to help. How'd you handle fluffy, anyway? Did you have to wrestle him to the ground whenever he tried to attack something?"

"Well, no. It's actually just finding out how to calm the great beast. It took a while, but I eventually figured out that if you play 'im a bit a music he falls straight to sleep….I shouldn't a told ye that." Hagrid was now looking incredibly worried.

"Don't worry about it, Hagrid. If I were trying to get at whatever he's guarding, I wouldn't need to know how to calm fluffy. I already found another way. But that isn't important. Hagrid, do you have a thing for big, dangerous animals?"

"What do you mean, 'a thing'?"

"Do you think Fluffy is beautiful?"

"Yes, in fact."

"Have you seen my big snake in the forbidden forest?"

"Why yes, she's gettin' pretty big now. Thought she was an anaconda at first, and that was a week ago."

"Wow. So, when you say pretty big -"

"I mean _pretty big._ Been killin' off some of the bigger acromantulas in the forest -"

"What are acromantulas?"

"I shouldn't a told ya that. I shouldn't a told ya that."

"Hagrid, honestly I love creatures just like you do. You don't need to worry about me spilling the beans to some ministry suit."

That seemed to calm him down. "I'm glad I can trust you, Harry. So you like big creatures, do you?"

"Yes, sir." Said Harry, smiling.

"Very well. I'll tell ya' when I get another one. They seem to gravitate to me. Guess a lot of people know I like 'em. See you later, Harry." And with that, the conversation ended.

-oOoOo-

When Halloween came around, Harry was teaching about 120 kids the various forms and uses of Unaided Magic in two classes of about 60. Ron, Neville, and Hermione helped Harry with these classes. He was now teaching all of first year, most of second and third year, and some of fourth year, as well as a few from fifth, sixth, and seventh year, excluding Slytherin. The way things were going, Harry would be teaching all of Hogwarts, and would probably have a separate class dedicated to The Slytherins. That would absorb all of his extra time, though. No, he won't do that. The day was going pretty good. They even got to dinner before something weird happened. Then something weird happened.

"TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!" Quirrell came running into the main hall, screaming. Then he stopped in front of the middle of the hall, took a short breath as if he was going to calm down, then said casually, "Thought you ought to know." and fainted, falling on his face. Harry almost laughed, but took it seriously. He and Hermione, as well as most of the people they taught together, remained calm as the rest of the great hall flipped out.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore said, and the room became deathly quiet. "Would everyone please not panic? Prefects, take your charges to the dormitories. Teachers, follow me to the dungeons."

Harry's mind raced. Trolls are too stupid to accidentally find their way to a castle on top of a mountain. Someone put it there. Whatever Fluffy was guarding is highly secret, meaning that it is important. Dumbledore warned him that Voldemort might be coming back. This all added up to Voldemort's servant using the troll as a distraction to get to whatever Fluffy was guarding. Harry needed to get to the third floor.

Harry used a form of Shadow Magic that allowed him to fly so that he could get to the third floor as quickly as possible without having to wait for the stairs to change. When he got there, he was dead quiet, not daring to tread on the stone and make noise. He floated to the door at the end of the corridor, opened it, and found Fluffy awake. He recognized Harry and barked, excited that his friend was back.

"Hey, Fluffy." He said, going inside of the chamber and sitting next to Fluffy. Whoever entered here would find something more dangerous than a three-headed dog to deal with; an eleven year old wizard heavily trained in Shadow Magic. It took a while, but the door opened. Who Harry saw come through the door was the second to last person Harry would suspect.

The door was opened by none other than Severus Snape. Harry, feeling Fluffy get angry, asked, "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?!" He asked, looking at Fluffy like he would attack Harry at any moment.

"Trying to guard whatever Fluffy is guarding. Fluffy and I get along just fine, but I don't think he likes you." Harry said calmly, attempting to read the professor as the dog stood and growled long and deep. "I suggest you leave before you lose a limb or two. Perhaps you could stand guard outside or help deal with the troll." The dog charged and Snape left, locking the door behind him. Harry attempted to sooth the beast with calm thoughts of rest and dreams. Fluffy eventually settled down next to him and fell asleep. A few minutes later, when Harry was sure Fluffy wouldn't wake, he left. On the other side of the door, Harry was met by a strangling hug from Hermione.

"What were you thinking?" Hermione said into Harry's ear. Harry couldn't do anything to stop the hug. It was funny how he could do more than most can dream of, yet was powerless to something simple as a hug from a worried friend. He guessed that was the beauty of friendship.

"I was thinking that I didn't want Voldemort to get a hold on whatever is down there."

"Down where?" Hermione asked, Letting go of Harry and looking him in the eye. The distance between them now allowed Harry to see who else was in the room. Most of the staff was there, including Snape, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Quirrell. In seeing Quirrell again, his scar twinged. Dumbledore was smiling in his 'I can see the future and everything's fine' sort of way. At least someone thought so.

Harry spoke to Hermione. "The three-headed dog I was telling you about is guarding something. It's likely something able to bring Voldemort back to life." He said, giving a knowing look to Hermione. She understood. Harry wanted her to find out what. He had a feeling Hermione would spend a lot more time in the library than usual, which was saying something. He then said, addressing the professors and headmaster, "Has the troll been taken care of?"

McGonagall spoke, or rather bellowed, " _Taken care of?!_ That troll, at least it _was_ a troll, is in pieces! When we got there, about half-dozen students had already surrounded it! _Most of them FIRST YEARS!_ I almost fainted when I got there, because it had tried to hit Weasley and the club _passed right through him!_ Then Miss Granger stuck out her hand and vaporized a hole into its stomach with lightning, then hit it with another spark, and the thing _blew up in a fiery explosion!"_ She seemed livid, and was right to be. A first year being able to dispatch a troll in such a way wasn't typically a good thing. Especially not for the troll.

Harry's eyebrows were arched in an amazed look as he turned to Hermione, "Remind me to never mess with you." She seemed very pleased, and somewhat embarrassed, at this comment. She gave Harry a nervous smile, which he returned. He resumed his professional demeanor, stating, "Yes, she is particularly skilled in the Elemental Magics."

Snape interrupted their moment by saying, "Harry, I believe that there needs to be a teacher overseeing your lessons to ensure that you are not turning our students into killing machines. What we saw today was the worst-case scenario as far as wizarding education goes. Adolescents tend to be particularly emotional at times, and for an adolescent to have such great power is spelling doom for those around him or her, as well as the child in question."

That is when Dumbledore spoke, "An excellent assessment, Severus, but I know it to be false. I personally have him show me his lesson plans and now regularly observe his classes. Harry only teaches his students defensive techniques that do not require a wand, as well as a myriad of other useful tricks that will help preserve the life of our students. As for Hermione Granger, Harry had made a special request for me to search her mind, as well as Neville's, to see if Harry can teach them how powerful Unaided Magic, as Harry calls it, can be."

"And do you attend those classes as well?" McGonagall asked

"Yes."

"Well? What material are they covering?"

"Material that I am very glad is in their hands only, Minerva." Dumbledore responded cryptically.

Severus broke in, outraged, "How can you defend this? Underdeveloped children holding more magical power than some of the strongest witches and wizards of their age? Do you realize how serious this is? What the ministry would do? What the school board of directors would do?"

"I am fully aware of the consequences of my actions, Severus. I took this to the board myself and the only one who objected to it was Lucius. That is, after I had their full memories analyzed by them, and they launched a full inquiry of the three of them under veritaserum to determine their emotional stability." This was true, of course. Harry would have refused to do it if it weren't for Dumbledore's insistence that it happen. That and the fact that everyone already knew about his giant snake and that he could speak parseltongue by that time. Snape was rather put-out by this and Minerva also seemed displeased. Quirrell was jumpier than usual. Probably imagining being blown to pieces by Hermione, Harry thought. This brought a smile to his face. McGonagall interrupted these thoughts.

"I do hope you aren't going to refuse to teach the Hogwarts staff, are you?" Harry smiled again.

"I was actually hoping you would ask me to teach you. However, I will only permit those I think I can trust. That would be Professor Snape, Hagrid, Sprout, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Flitwick, Hooch, and Madam Pomfrey."

"What about Quirrell?" Dumbledore asked.

"I honestly think someone's going to sneeze and he's just going to flip out and start blasting stuff. Not very good for safety. I think we would be safer _without_ crossing Hermione's power with Quirrell's jumpiness." Even Dumbledore seemed unsettled by that notion. Quirrell was absolutely terrified of it, abruptly flinching when it registered to him.

"Well….Ok, then. So, when are you teaching us?"

"I think I can fit you in on Saturday and Sunday. I'm sure you guys know where the Room of Requirement is?" Everyone but Quirrell looked sure. Then again, he wasn't going.

-oOoOo-

Harry ended up finding out an uncomfortable truth about Elemental Magic. The older you get, the harder it is to learn it. Dumbledore, though he was the oldest there, still nicked Energy Magic. He blasted a tree apart. Everyone else could barely pull a few volts. Growth Magic is the speed of grass with them, fire doesn't hold a spark, and water can't even wave. Shadow Magic is worse with the aged, although Snape can wreath an area in shadow. Soul Magic is dead with most of them, though Dumbledore bonded with Fawkes. It lasted a few seconds and collapsed. Hagrid was able to bond with Fang and was able to transmit feelings. That actually lasted a whole day.

Now Harry understood why the book was worth a Knut. The only people with enough knowledge to know that Unaided Magic exists and had the patience to read it were adults, but adults couldn't use it. Not only that, but if the wrong child got their hands onto it, it could spell disaster to everyone around them when they get angry or scared. Not only that, but some dueling practice with the teachers showed Harry that most of the offensive spells he knew could be blocked by a simple shield charm.

The only magic type of magic out of all types of Unaided Magic that the teachers seemed able to perform were Light Magic. Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, and McGonagall were especially good at this, and were able to cast their patronus aura, the hardest Light Magic spell the book allows you to know. Harry had invented a few more spells, but they didn't need to know about them. No one should. Not even _he_ should. Maybe he shouldn't have shared them with Hermione and Neville?

So, the teachers were trained with a focus on Light Magic. Ironically, they learned it quicker than the first years.

Before long, Hagrid showed up early for a class and pulled him aside, "Harry, Meet me in my cabin after class. I got a big surprise for you." He seemed ready to throw a party at how excited he was.

Harry knew that it was big, possibly dangerous, and definitely beautiful. Lucky for Harry, they were only reviewing material today. He could hardly contain his excitement. The lesson ended quickly. At the end, Dumbledore approached him,

"You certainly are a talented young man, Harry."

"Thank you, professor."

"I am sorry that we couldn't learn your material, Harry."

"That's alright, professor. I was wondering. This book that I use for these lessons is called 'A Complete Guide to Unaided Magic, book 1'. Is there any way you can get me the second book?"

Dumbledore's eye twinkled, "I can get you the entire series if you wanted. Do you?"

"Of course, sir. Thank you, sir." Harry said, smiling.

Dumbledore bowed slightly and continued out of the Room of Requirement, following the rest of his colleagues. Harry left just behind them, going to the Ravenclaw common room. When he got there, he dropped his things off and went to Hagrid's hut, petting Hedwig before he left. He felt the tendrils of a bond developing there. Moving to Hagrid's hut, he noticed it was getting dark. Harry knocked on the door to the cabin and heard Hagrid say, "Come in!"

 **Alright, anything more you wish to comment with? No restrictions, by the way. Just say what's on your mind.**


	5. Mother's Love, Into the Deep

AN: See Chapter 1

~"Come in."~

Harry entered excitedly, hearing Fang bark. "OK, Hagrid, I'm dying to know why I'm here."

"Just wait, Harry. I don't want to spoil anything." This was the first time Hagrid was able to keep a secret from Harry. This must be pretty important.

"Wow, this must be special. I think we should protect from unwelcome eyes, don't you?" Said Harry, blocking up a small window at the front of the hut with a small towel and locking the front and side door. Hagrid made an awful tasting tea and some patties that were hard as rocks and hurt your teeth. They ate, (Harry softened his patties with a simple spell, after which he found out it was like a giant oatmeal cookie, raisins and all. Just no sugar) and talked about a few things. As the night grew, they reached into deeper subjects. Harry, having trained himself to see Spirit Bonds, saw thin tendrils of ghostly light interweave between their minds, driven to bond by the expression of those things that lie closest to their hearts to those who they have determined were worthy of them.

Remembering the last conversation they had, Harry asked a question. "Hagrid, what's an acromantula?"

Hagrid looked guilty at this. "In my third year, I found a spider. Raised it since he was a baby. It turned out he wasn't a normal spider. He grew into a real big one, an acromantula. I called it Aragog. Well….one day a kid took notice and Aragog had to leave the school. They called it a monster and I got expelled."

"They expelled you for having a giant spider?"

"No, Harry, there's much more to it than that. Anyway, Dumbledore later made me the Hogwarts Keeper of Keys and Grounds. Pays good and everything. Then, on a trip through the forest, I discovered Aragog had built a little nest deep in the forest. Now the forest is populated in lots of acromantulas." Harry shivered. He loved creatures, but giant spiders didn't bode well with him. Perhaps bonding with them would relieve the discomfort of them? Wanting to explore the forest, Harry asked,

"Hagrid, do you need any help in the forest?"

Hagrid was still for a moment, and then his face drooped a little, as if remembering an unfortunate and terrible truth. "Yes, in fact. Something's been killing off the unicorns. Thought it was your snake. I was flying mad at her for a whole three seconds before I realized that there was no poison in any of the unicorn's systems and no evidence of constriction. Even worse still, there's human bite marks on each of them, as if someone's wandering around the forest drinking their blood to sustain themselves." Hagrid shivered at this, making some of his bland tea spill. Harry shivered as well. Suddenly, something in the kettle over the fire began to rattle around inside. Hagrid smiled wide and said, "It's time!" grabbing a pair of massive oven mitts.

Harry's hands pricked with the feelings of needles as he watched Hagrid pull a rattling egg out of the kettle and put it on the table. "What is it, Hagrid?"

"Just wait." He said, staring at the egg in anticipation and something else he didn't recognize. Similar to love, but different somehow. He figured he'd know soon enough. The egg shivered and cracked, jumping off the table at times. Suddenly, it stopped for a few seconds. Hagrid's brow scrunched together in worry. The worst of thoughts ran through Harry's mind. Was it dead? Harry was on the edge of his seat, nails subconsciously digging into the wood chair he sat on.

Suddenly, the egg exploded and bits of shell flew everywhere. Including, embarrassingly enough, into Harry's open mouth. After spitting the shell out onto the floor, he looked up to see a dragon! There was an actual dragon on Hagrid's table. Harry exclaimed in awe,

"Hagrid! How did you manage to get one?"

"Well, some bloke in a hood showed up at the leaky cauldron the other day asking for me. Said something about a problem he needed to get rid of, but wanted to know I could handle it. When he told me it was a dragon I was excited to get my hands on it, but he was insistent that I tell him specific examples of handling other vicious creatures in the past. Well, I told him. I said, 'After Fluffy, a wee dragon's not gonna do me any harm. It's all about finding a way to calm it.' Well, he seemed very interested in specifics and I was very interested in the egg, so I gave him specifics. Even after that, the bloke didn't want to give it to me, thinking he could raise it on its own with what I told him, but I said, 'Even if you can raise it, where are you gonna get the space for it? You don't come across a forbidden forest on sale very often, now do you?' After that, the man reluctantly gave me the egg and left, grumbling to himself."

Harry sensed a red flag in that explanation, but was too distracted by the dragon to care. Pieces of shell stuck to its scales and Harry gently brushed them off. The dragon tried to bite, but found a minor shield around Harry's skin. Harry was amazed that the dragon was focused solely on Harry, not even acknowledging Hagrid. It just looked at Harry, and Harry looked right back. Suddenly, when Harry went to brush shell fragments off its scales again, instead of biting, it rubbed up against his hand with its head and long neck. At that moment, a very powerful Soul Bond formed between them. Harry saw tendrils of brilliant silver light dance and weave between them the instant it allowed Harry to touch it. No, it was a she. Harry felt its nature. So small and simple, yet already so violent. Almost as soon as their bonds were formed, its mind increased in complexity, Becoming far more human far more quickly than his snake had. He could see its mind forming different sectors for different tasks within seconds. Not only that, but as intelligence increased, violent instincts became less pronounced. Even her movements were affected by this, holding herself more like a complex and proud creature rather than the primal and aggressive one she had been only seconds before.

She finally broke eye contact and looked now to Hagrid, who scratched her little chin and chuckled. "Oh, bless him. He knows his mommy." Harry, out of the blue, felt slightly defensive for a reason he didn't entirely understand. Hagrid spoke again, "Hello, Norbert."

"The dragon's a she, Hagrid." Harry stated, annoyed. Why was he annoyed?

Hagrid looked curious at this, "And how, exactly, do you know the dragon is female?"

"I don't know. I just do." Harry said, looking guilty.

"Harry, did you bond with this dragon?" He asked, now looking even more curious. He knew of Soul Magic from his lessons with Harry.

"Um, I think so. The thing is that I've never seen bond threads as bright as these before. I don't want you to think I'm taking her away from you or anything." He said, part of his mind disagreeing with this statement. Part of him wanted to keep and protect this dragon. Part of him wanted him to raise this dragon as his own. The dragon herself seemed to appreciate the instincts of that side.

Hagrid spoke cautiously, "Well, Harry….if you are bonded to this dragon there is nothing I can do to stop it, and trying to will only hurt you. Why don't you just keep it here and we can raise it together." Harry's other side relaxed a little at this, but his normal side didn't as the implications of a dragon in his life began to reveal itself. He would have to hide her from the ministry, probably from Dumbledore, and definitely from the entire staff and student body. This made his other side anxious. Not only that, but he would have to either cancel his classes or have someone else permanently take over for him. Hermione would be a good replacement. Yes, that's a plan. It would make people curious, but no one would be able to figure it out, what with his ability to perform shadow magic. He would slip right through their nets set out to capture him, if they even had a mind to try. Taking care of the beast would be difficult and would take all of his time, but his instincts told him that it was worth it.

Hagrid sat patiently, allowing Harry to think it through. Harry eventually came out of his thoughts and said, "Should we name her Norberta instead?" Hagrid smiled at this,

"Yes, that name would do. Now, it is late and you need to return to bed. Since tomorrow is a Sunday I expect you to be down here first thing in the morning." He said, smiling. Part of Harry bristled at the command. _He dares doubt I'll be there?_ But Harry realized it was the bond acting up again. It's best not to agitate it, though.

"Of course, Hagrid. Good night." Harry said, stroking Norberta's wing one last time before standing and leaving. After stepping out the door and closing it, Harry sat down and took a deep breath, rubbing his face. He needed to get a handle on these new emotions. Already the other side of him was practically begging him to turn back and sleep inside the cabin. He was already deeply considering it. No, Everyone would notice Harry Potter go missing for a night. If they find him in Hagrid's cabin, they would likely investigate the place for a reason why he stayed there, and would quickly find Norberta. After that thought, the other side of him may have been reluctant to leave, but to stay was to endanger being separated from Norberta, and that wasn't going to stand with either side of him. So, he left.

Attempting to avoid detection, Harry became shadow, floating to Ravenclaw tower. When he got to the window it was closed, so he tried to open it. It slid open quietly, allowing him to slide in undetected, lie on his bed silently, become material again, and almost instantaneously fall asleep.

-oOoOo-

For the next several days, Harry's time was absorbed by his caring for and raising Norberta. His nights were haunted by night terrors that were of Norberta being torn apart by wolves or caught in an acromantula web. Over those several days, he taught no more classes. Instead, he wandered the forest, hunting with Norberta and Thana. They seemed to like each other. Norberta was growing rapidly, and eventually was able to live in the Forbidden Forest alone. Harry's last visit revealed that Norberta had made his house in a cave. In one of his wanderings, he encountered a dying unicorn. After healing it, a strange bond formed between him and the unicorn. Though it was clear, the bonds seemed denser for some reason. He bonded with much of the acromantula hive as well, and they didn't attack him after several of their members began defending him, including the king, Aragog.

The day after Harry bonded with Norbert, Dumbledore delivered a full set of four books to his bed. To understand his predicament, he read a conveniently-named section in book 3 called 'Powerful Soul Bonds, what to expect, and how to deal with them.' This is what Harry had read.

 _Soul Bonds of a mediocre quality do not need their section of explanation, as they are relatively straightforward. These bonds are that of trusting friends or pets. However, there are a few more powerful bonds that cause many adverse effects, especially to emotion. This section is meant to help the reader identify, understand, and cope with the various effects these bonds may cause one to experience. It is important for the reader to understand that breaking these types of bonds to end these troubling experiences not only wastes a perfectly good spiritual bond, but is also almost always extremely harmful to those involved, so harmful, in fact, we have given it a name: Rejection. Rejection is usually harmful, is always more harmful to the one being rejected, and has the potential to be more harmful than Separation, which is the harmful effects imposed on one side of a bond when the other dies. Because of this, we have not included details in this series on how to carry out Rejection, but have included ways to avoid destabilizing the bond, which would risk a Forced Rejection, which tends to be far more powerful in its effects._

 _Powerful Spirit Bonds are characterized by a dual mindset. Some have reported themselves arguing with a 'new self' that appeared the moment the bond was formed. This new self has a personality similar to the living thing you have bonded with, and will often argue in favor of the continued existence of the bond, as well as your continued cooperation in the bond's recommended responsibilities. To accept the bond, one must embrace this 'new self.' Do not fight this self's instincts, simply reason with it if its instincts would otherwise cause negative effects. Such bonds are often initiated by those already in intimate relations with each other and the bond will always conform to the existent relationship. These relationships, if in place, are usually strong and intimate, such as a parent and child, or a husband and wife, and are, more often than not, extremely rewarding and lifelong bonds._

 _Powerful bonds such as these are often formed by accident, can be formed at certain moments or over a period of time, and exponentially strengthen over time spent together. Those who have already bonded have a much greater likelihood to form another bond. Those who are trained in visually identifying Spirit Bonds will notice that while Mediocre Bonds are always clear, more powerful bonds have color, such as silver, pink, gold, or blue. These colors reveal the characteristics, nature, and stability of such a bond, which in turn determine the effects a person experiences during certain times and situations when bonded, including Rejection and Separation. Because of this, we will describe bonds by color, not by relationship, as the color provides a much more accurate method of describing the bond. **NOTE: Though Rejection takes effect almost instantly, Separation takes hours, even days to take full effect, building in intensity as the living Bondmate is starved of the spiritual reciprocation of the dead Bondmate. The effects of both Rejection and Separation wear off unless otherwise mentioned. If two bonds conflict, both bonds will become unstable and will eventually collapse if the Rejection of one isn't caused.**_

 _Pink: Also known as a 'Romeo and Juliet Bond'._

 _Typical relationship type before formed (some variation): Young and foolish people attracted to each other_ _Typical relationship type after formed (little variation): Young and foolish lovers_ _Highly unstable bond, Rejection symptoms are relatively soft, featuring mild depression and mood swings. Separation symptoms more severe, featuring acute depression and mild 'bond-break rashes'. Grief tends to exacerbate Separation._ _Formed between two individuals who feel great lust for each other, most often forms between a male trained in Soul Magic and a female._ _Causes near-obsession for Bondmate._ _If allowed to continue to exist, forced Rejection is highly likely (often occurs on first fight after bond forms) and will grow stronger as time passes. Not recommended. Avoid when possible. Cause Rejection when discovered. If ridiculously lucky, bond color may become 'gold.' conflicts with bond colors blue and gold._

 _Blue: Also known as a 'Veela Bond.'_

 _Typical relationship type before formed: Not Significant, but all are relatively same age as veela._ _Typical relationship type after formed (No Variation): Very close friends or boyfriend and girlfriend._ _Stability of bond determined by actions of veela's Bondmate. Rejection symptoms are very severe for veela, causing acute depression and severe 'bond-break rashes'. Rejection symptoms for veela progress until suicide or total organ failure occurs. Rejection symptoms for non-veela tend to be weak, featuring only severe 'bond-break rashes.' Separation symptoms are highly severe for both parties, featuring acute depression, violent mood swings, severe 'bond-break rashes', acute anxiety, and loss of hair. Symptoms of Separation progress until suicide or total organ failure occurs._ _Formed between veela and Bondmate. Bondmates are never same gender. Bondmate chosen by veela through an unknown system, but is identified through a system of sight, smell, and touch. Those who are trained in Spirit Magic or would be helped/believe that they would be helped by such a bond seem to be chosen by veela more frequently than those who do not have those apparent advantages._ _Causes a compulsion to be completely devoted to Bondmate, usually leading to an exceptionally healthy marriage and lifelong relationship. Also causes physical pain and mental stress if not in close proximity and/or physical contact. Physical pain and mental stress worsens if close proximity and physical contact isn't allowed. Veela known to show insecurities of relationship, oftentimes panicking or 'shutting down' if they fear Rejection could occur._ _Forced Rejection occurs when the need of close proximity and physical contact is ignored for too long. If veela causes Rejection, veela doesn't experience any symptoms of Rejection and may re-bond with another. If need of close proximity and physical contact is not ignored for a significant amount of time and if veela's bondmate's behavior is favorable for a lifelong relationship, bond color becomes 'gold.' Conflicts with bond colors pink, blue and gold._

 _Gold: Also known as a 'Marriage Bond'_

 _Typical relationship type before formed (little variation): boyfriend and girlfriend_ _Typical relationship type after formed (very little variation): Husband and wife_ _Very stable bond. Rejection theoretically possible, but never recorded. Separation symptoms are relatively soft, featuring minor 'bond-break rashes' and minor anxiety. Grief and depression seems to occur less frequently and tend to be less potent when Separation occurs to gold Bondmates._ _Formed between two people already living for the satisfaction of each other's personal needs while living in deep and honest affection of each other and only each other. Rarely forms without one being trained in Spirit Magic. If Separation occurs, living member of bond cannot form a Marriage Bond with another, suggesting that the previous bond still exists._ _Causes complete devotion to Bondmate. When the bond is settling, Bondmates need to be isolated from any and all potential threats, as each becomes extremely protective of one another. Bondmates need to be in close proximity as much as possible when bond is settling. Prolonged spatial division causes physical and mental discomfort. Close proximity and physical contact causes positive physical and emotional responses._ _Bond could take between a few days to a few months to settle, depending on the magical strength of the Bondmates and the bond itself. The stronger the bond and Bondmates, the less time it takes to settle. If you already have a gold bond, pink and blue bonds are impossible._

 _Silver: Also known as a 'Mother's Love Bond'_

 _Typical relationship type before formed (some variation): Mother and unborn child_ _Typical relationship type after formed (some variation): Mother and child (Activates at birth)_ _Very stable bond. Rejection symptoms are relatively severe for child, featuring acute anxiety, often causing the child to have social anxieties related to rejection and abandonment in future. Rejection symptoms are relatively severe for mother, featuring acute depression and 'bond-break rashes'. Separation symptoms for child are severe, featuring acute anxiety and severe 'bond-break rashes', and child may also form a debilitating fear of anything related to that which killed its mother. Separation symptoms for mother are very severe, featuring extreme hatred and anger toward whatever killed their child, acute depression, acute anxiety, severe 'bond-break rashes', and an inability to sleep without risking living through a night terror of the death of their child._ _Most commonly formed by a mother giving birth to her child, but can be formed by anyone witnessing any living being coming to the world._ _Causes minds of the mother and child to be mixed like other bonds, but the child typically gets the better deal in this, as the development of their mind is drastically sped up and mental illnesses are repaired. Otherwise, gives the son a sense of love and trust for the mother, and gives the mother the compulsion to be a good mother. This may include instilling fears in her that may become a reality so that the mother avoids it occurring. This fear is most often introduced in night terrors, after which the mother becomes especially protective of the child. These night terrors become more frequent the more distance there is between mother and child. If distance continues to remain extreme, night terrors stop altogether. When that occurs, neither mother nor child experiences Separation or Rejection if it occurs. This doesn't alleviate the grief one may feel upon hearing of this._ _Is one of the few bonds that allow a massive distance to spread between the Bondmates without threatening to grow unstable. The effects on the mother for the massive distance that occurs between mother and child is often called 'empty nest syndrome'. If the child comes in close proximity after the end of the empty nest syndrome, the bond comes out of hibernation and renews its previous effects unless bond is broken before they come in close proximity again. If the mother lives long enough and both Bondmates are the same species, this bond can become 'gold.' Also, when the mother feels that the child's life is in danger, the bond stimulates a magical upheaval in the mother. Put simply, harming the child is beyond suicide. Bond can be put into hibernation by choice if both mother and child agree. When the child becomes an adult, and the child isn't the same species as the mother, the bond will become green._

 _Green: also known as the 'Eternal Companion Bond'_

 _Typical relationship type before formed (great variation): Two very close friends_ _Typical relationship type after formed (little variation): Two inseparable companions_ _Nearly unbreakable bond. Forced Rejection impossible. Rejection theoretically possible but never recorded. Separation symptoms are extremely severe, featuring, extreme 'bond break rashes', acute depression, loss of hair, spontaneous bleeding of the nose, mental disconnection from reality, possible loss of several senses, including sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch, loss of various thirsts, such as for food, rest, water, and to relieve oneself. Also has the chance to instantly kill the Bondmate instead._ _Can only be formed when a bond between two individuals_

Well, that made things a lot less confusing. He had to protect Norberta. Because of this, he needed to get other people in on it. Dumbledore had to know, and so did Hermione and Neville. So, as soon as he could get Neville and Hermione alone inside of an abandoned classroom, this is what was said.

"Harry, what is it you need us to talk about." Neville asked, impatient to get to transfiguration.

"I have made a powerful Soul Bond with a living thing."

"Congratulations, Harry!" Hermione said, hugging him.

"It's a little more complicated than that." He said, sharing the relevant section of book 3 about silver bonds with them.

"Oh, well….what is this 'living thing' you've bonded to?"

"A dragon." They both had strange expressions on their faces.

Neville asked, "Harry, how did you even get a dragon?"

Harry said, "Before I tell you anything more, you need to promise me you won't tell anyone else."

They both said, "Of course." At the same time.

Harry took a breath, sat on a desk, and then told them how Hagrid came across a dragon's egg. When he got to the stranger, the 'red flag' popped up in his head again. Hermione spoke first.

"Wait, so what you're telling me is that a random and unidentified stranger showed up with a dragon egg, asked about Fluffy in a roundabout way, found out how to get past him, and then just gave up the egg after a simple argument of space?! Harry, that's not-"

"Normal, yeah. Someone's going after the stone again."

"Harry, we have to do something!" Neville said

"Yes, we must. Tonight. As soon as curfew begins. Meet me on the third floor. By the way, do you guys have any idea of what this object we are trying to protect may be?"

"The sorcerer's stone. It can turn any metal to gold and produce the Elixir of Life," said Hermione. "I found it in a book I got from the library for a bit of light reading."

Neville raised his eyebrows, looking at Hermione, "Are you saying that that _tome_ was light?"

Hermione gave a rebuttal, "I didn't read all of it, and I usually just skim the table of content for something interesting and then read what I find. If I had tried to read all of it, I would have found out about the stone after Christmas."

Harry interrupted the tangent, "Ok, so this elixir, what does it do?"

"It makes the drinker immortal." Hermione said.

"So, if Voldemort got his hands on it -"

"We're doomed." Neville finished. There were grim looks all around.

And the late bell sounded, causing them to part ways. They went through their classes, Harry visited Norberta (who was about six feet tall at the shoulder) and told him about the day's events as he frequently did. The realization about the stranger in the leaky cauldron seemed to upset her. She was churning the dirt with her serrated claws and growling at the ground. When Harry told her how he was going to handle the situation, he felt waves of sorrow and worry come off of her,

And, for the first time in all of his experiences with Soul Bonds, he heard a thought come from her.

 _"Harry."_ She said. It was filled with sadness and worry unlike anything he had so far felt. The look she gave him was almost human and definitely intelligent, full of tortured feelings. She didn't want him to go. She didn't want him to die.

It was then that the silver bonds between them became far more brilliant than they were before, now generating light. Harry hugged Norberta's giant front leg and cried. She didn't because she couldn't, but Harry felt her shake as she sobbed. Harry's heart ached at seeing Norberta in so much pain, but he couldn't _not_ go to the third floor. It could spell doom for much of the wizarding world as well as the muggle world if Voldemort came back. Norberta understood this, as the bond now had her in his mind all the time, but she didn't want _him_ to go. But he did. He was going to destroy Voldemort once and for all. He was going to avenge his parents. As Harry walked away, Norberta's worry and sorrow increased at the sight of him leaving.

 _"Harry."_

-oOoOo-

Harry, Hermione, and Neville met on the third floor in their shadow forms. Returning to their normal selves, Harry said, "Follow me. I've bonded with the dog; don't flip out when you see him. He won't harm us." and went inside, followed closely by the other two. The sight that Harry saw made his heart drop. Fluffy was fast asleep next to a harp. Neville spoke

"Oh, no."

"Oh, no indeed," said Hermione, rushing over to the trap door under Fluffy's paw, pushing the paw out of the way, opening the trapdoor, and beholding an abyss. Harry felt Norberta's worry increase at seeing this through his mind. Harry and Neville went over to see as well. Harry responded.

"Well, looks like we need to fly down. You guys first. I'll make sure Fluffy, here, doesn't attack you guys." They all went, Neville first, down the trapdoor. Harry sensed himself travel through a magical barrier, and as soon as he got to the other side, he was falling. What he landed on was rather squishy. He though it was just a bunch of cylindrical pads, but then several of them grabbed his legs and arms and chest, immobilizing them. Hermione said,

"Harry, they've got my wand! This is devil's snare! It hates-"

"Sunlight." Harry finished in a whisper. Focusing with all of his might on the bond he shared with Norberta, Harry radiated a burst of pure light with his patronus aura. It was far more powerful than he had expected it to be. The devil's snare shriveled up and died the moment his aura had formed. It still provided protection from falling too hard from above, but it was dead. When Neville and Hermione were released, they just sat there for a second; trying to blink away the Harry-shaped spots in their eyes. Then Neville asked,

"What was that?"

"My patronus aura."

Hermione cut in while standing up and walking towards a convenient hole in the wall, "A patronus isn't that bright, is it? Isn't it just supposed to give off a faint glow?" The rest followed Hermione out.

Harry responded, "Not if the memory and/or feeling is powerful enough."

Neville, not particularly listening, asked, "Do you hear wind?"

Harry said, "No, it's more like a fluttering."

They entered a room that had several hundred birds, no, keys flying around. Harry took one look at the door ahead and knew he needed to get a very specific key from this flock of keys. One key stood out to him. It looked big and old, while all of the others were really thin and sharp-looking. Harry said, "This is just too simple."

Hermione asked, "I know, but what are you going to do about the sharp ones?"

Harry said, "Neville, Hermione, you try to burn the thin keys to my right and left. I'll get the ones to the center. When there are only a few more keys, I'll fly up there and grab the big key." and they did so. When they began burning the keys, they swarmed. The small keys tried to impale them and the big key flew away. That only made it easier to burn the wings off all of the small keys, fly after the big key, and unlock the door. Just as he went to unlock the door, Harry found a broom just floating in the middle of the air. Neville commented,

"How hard do you think it would be to get the big key on that broom with all of those thin keys stabbing you?"

Harry responded, "I'd probably die. It's a good thing we know Unaided Magic." They both agreed. The next room they entered made Harry laugh in an almost maniacal tone. Before him was a giant chess board. Hermione and Neville looked at him nervously. Harry spoke again, "Well, this is a rather pleasant surprise. I love chess!"

Hermione asked, "Why don't we just go through the pieces or blast them apart?"

Harry said, "Forget it, if it was that simple, this chess set wouldn't even be here. No, we need to play to get to the stone. You guy give me tactics support, telling me where I could move. I'll play as the king. That way I'm not risking one of your lives. I am, after all, a reductionist." Hermione shivered at this. Harry walked up to the black king and said, "I'll take over for you." He gave Harry the crown that was on his head. It shrank until it could fit on Harry's head. He put it on and stepped onto the king's spot, which left the chess board and stood by the door they came from. White moved first, putting the pawn in front of their king forward. They attempted a post and pawn rush strategy. It quickly disintegrated as his bishops and knights swiftly eliminated their pawns and his pawns moved forward.

By the time the game reached critical mass, the white team was dying left and right. Harry was actually winning! His queen sighed. She hadn't moved the entire game. For good reason, too. A knight protected by a pawn was constantly in place to put him in check and take out his rook. He couldn't let that happen. His knight just did that, too. Asking the queen, Harry said,

"Would you like to checkmate the king?" It just nodded. "Very well." Harry moved forward a pawn. Check. The enemy queen took his pawn. Harry said to the queen, "Will you do the honors?" The queen jumped to action, or rather slid. Inching forward one block at a time. When it got to the other queen, it picked up its sword and decapitated the other queen. The king, upon the other queen being taken, threw down his crown. Neville and Hermione congratulated Harry. He simply said that this board had a weird pattern, nothing like a level 10 computer. It made too many mistakes. Maybe the style it attempted was too advanced for the witch or wizard who tried to enchant it. Maybe the style only worked towards a certain group of people, like the wizarding world teaches chess differently than the muggle world. Anyway, the next challenge was just a game of 'walk around the smelly, knocked-out troll,' and the one after that was a room with seven vials of different-sized potions all in a line. Next to it was a scroll. As soon as they reached the center of the room, flames on either door shot up out of the ground. Harry picked up the scroll and read it. He read it several times, looking at the different potions. After he made up his mind, he said,

"Hermione, this is a logic puzzle. Can you help?"

"Of course." She said, smiling. Her focus deepened and the only sound was the whisper on her lips and the rasp of her cloak as she pointed at the various potions. Suddenly, she said, "The first is poison" and threw it at the wall, it shattered and turned into harmless vapor. "second is wine, fifth is poison" more throwing and shattering, "Sixth is wine, seventh is a potion that allows you to move backward, forth is a potion that allows you to move forward, third is poison," finally more shattering.

Harry spoke, "That's what I thought. Thank you, Hermione." Grabbing the smallest potion, the only one that would allow him to move forward, he knew that there was only enough for one. Giving Hermione the one that would allow them to move backward, he said, "Go get Dumbledore or McGonagall, whichever you can get to fastest, and tell them that I'm stopping Voldemort's servant from getting the stone. Tell them to come immediately." Hermione hugged him, and then she stopped hugging him, grabbed the potion, and said,

"You know, you're a really great wizard, Harry."

Harry looked to Neville, who had been silent, and saw him nod as he said, "Harry, if you find Voldemort there, make sure he can never come back." Harry simply nodded. Neville's parents had been afflicted by Voldemort as well. They left him alone, drinking the potion before slipping through the flames. Harry did the same through the opposite flames, coming to a large chamber. Inside and in the center of the room was a big mirror. In front of the mirror was Professor Quirrell. This surprised Harry, but he stayed silent, hoping to surprise him. He assumed his shadow form and attempted to wander around the mirror. Suddenly, Quirrell spun around and said, "I know you're there!"

Harry revealed himself, saying, "Yes, and I know you're there. Now we're even." Attempting to cause him to make a mistake. "Why are you here?"

Quirrell laughed a cold laugh, "Isn't it obvious. I want the stone." Looking around to the mirror again. "I see what I desire. I am holding the stone in my hand."

Harry was very interested by this mirror. Judging by the look in Quirrell's reflection, he wanted the stone very very badly. Interesting. Supposing that it was a magical mirror, what would make the most sense to him is that the mirror showed those who looked inside their heart's desire. That could be useful when trying to cast a patronus.

Suddenly, a sharp command came from Quirrell's general area, " _Use the boy!"_ At the exact time that was said, Quirrell spun around to Harry and said,

"Come here, Potter. Now!" Well, Harry, who had already wanted to approach, put a nearly invisible patronus aura around himself (to protect from Quirrell's potential attack) and stepped towards the mirror. When he stood directly in front of it, he _did_ begin to see something. Something that he never expected to see.

"Mom? Dad?" They smiled at him. He didn't feel what he normally called desire. He felt something _more._ He wasn't in a chamber with Quirrell anymore. He was simply in front of _his parents._ He felt something akin to the most powerful form of homesickness imaginable, but _more._ It gripped and twisted his heart in a vice that felt like it would _never let go_.

He began crying as he sensed himself loosen, as if he had been holding himself together, wearing his anger against Voldemort, his magical abilities, his very identity as a sort of bandage that covered a hole in his heart. And now as he looked at his parents. And as they looked back. He felt that bandage, that _mask_ slip, revealing the _brokenness_. The shattered, empty heart. The tortured visage. It was then that he knew Voldemort. It was then that he understood him. If Harry was this broken because his parents had died, then how broken was the one who killed them? How would Voldemort react if he looked upon this mirror? Would he feel as Harry felt? Would he cry as Harry cried? Or worse, would he not? Was he so broken that he was incapable of feeling? Has the mask he wore been on for so long in fear of being seen, or rather in fear of _seeing_ , that it was now indistinguishable from his true self? It was when Harry thought this that he stopped being angry. Instead, he only felt the deepest sorrow for him.

Harry quickly refocused on the mirror. He felt the pure joy of seeing his parents again, and didn't realize fast enough that his patronus shield was rapidly increasing in power. Suddenly, a wave of light energy expanded from Harry's patronus aura. The moment it touched Quirrell, he turned to dust. Harry quickly turned around, greeted by a pile of dust where Quirrell once was.

"Whoa." He said. Slowly, dust particles seemed to be swirling into a form. It was ghost-like, humanoid, and yelling distantly. Suddenly, the cloud of dust moved in a ball towards Harry, going through him and exiting the chamber. When Harry was hit, he fell down and knew no more….

-oOoOo-

Harry woke to see Madam Pomfrey standing over him, who said, "Good, you're awake! Your muscles may ache. Try not to move too much before I test your physical state. We don't want you popping a shoulder out of joint if they suffered any damage." He just sat up in bed, letting his eyes adjust. His whole body ached like he had been used as a human punching bag and then ran a marathon. He was also very hungry. Did the patronus aura take up that energy, or was it the Voldemort/dust thing that did it?

He was in the hospital wing. He said, "Madam Pomfrey, can I get out of bed to find some food?" Just before he noticed some on the table next to him. All Madam Pomfrey did was point at the food. When he started his meal, he noticed a cart packed full of sweets. How many people knew about his little adventure on the third floor? He felt Norberta relax in his mind without already knowing that she was tense.

Harry faintly heard an old voice ask Madam Pomfrey for privacy. She left calmly and quietly, shutting the door after her. Then in walked Dumbledore.

"Well, Harry. It seems that, despite your placement in Ravenclaw, you have quite a bit of Gryffindor in you. I am impressed."

"Thank you, sir." Said Harry, wondering what was going to happen.

"Yes, and you can call me Albus if you wanted. Especially since I am currently protecting a particular member of your family who, despite having stormed the castle (as well as being a Norwegian Ridgeback), didn't harm a single person."

It took a few seconds for Harry to realize that he was talking about Norberta. "W-What-"

"Norberta, as I am told is her name, is perfectly safe. She is currently wandering the Forbidden Forest. However, I think that the moment she sensed you passing out she had become incredibly worried and attempted to storm the castle looking for you. She got as far as the first door. Unable to enter, she posted herself at the door, making sure that no one would get through it. I was eventually able to ensure her that I was only trying to help you, but she only allowed me through."

"Dumbledore, what about the stone?"

"The protections put in place were only put there to capture Voldemort's servant. The stone was destroyed the day Snape retrieved it from Gringotts."

Then remembering the mirror, Harry said, "Why did Quirrell disintegrate when I hit him with a patronus?"

"You used a particularly powerful form of light magic, to be sure. However, that would have not been enough to destroy him, only repel him. Another contributing factor to his destruction could have been the extreme form of love that you felt upon looking in the mirror, which, when combined with your patronus aura, allowed you to propel a very powerful form of protection that your mother gave you the day she freely died to save you."

"Wait….forgive me if I sound ridiculous, but did you basically just tell me that love killed Voldemort?"

"Harry, love is a double-edged sword. You may not know it, but it has a very deadly side. The only reason why that side is overlooked is because it only affects those who are truly evil, or those who have committed truly evil acts at exactly the wrong time. I put the mirror in the chamber because I knew two things, it would keep Quirrell there for a very long time, and because, in the off chance you may find out about the whole thing, that you would immediately and accidentally discover a way to destroy your enemy without tainting yourself with the evils of purposefully killing. I also couldn't allow you to fight Quirrell directly, as that could only ever end in your death. Instead, I gave you all of the tools you need to identify and destroy any and all truly evil forces before you at the same time."

Suddenly reminded of something, Harry asked, "Dumbledore, why exactly did you give me to my Aunt and Uncle?"

Dumbledore was slow to respond, "Um….Harry, you must understand that Voldemort was not the only one out to kill you. You were a target to many death eaters that day. We were lucky to get you out of the house alive, let alone unnoticed. The very fact that we got you at all was an extreme accomplishment. In order to keep you alive, I used the protections that your mother gave you that night and expanded them from just Voldemort to include all of his followers as well. Then, I put you with your only surviving family members that were related to you by blood so that the protections would still work. Even now these protections keep you alive. That's not to say that we left you alone, but we couldn't interfere with anything as that very likely would have caused your horrible aunt and uncle to throw you out of their house, thus breaking the protections."

"Why didn't you just put wards around me?"

"Because I already had. The best, in fact. But, your parents died anyway. So, I made it impossible for Voldemort or any of his followers to touch you, so long as you are welcomed, no matter how begrudgingly, into a family of blood's residence and accept their residence as home."

Harry just sat, taking it all in, and then asked the obvious question, "Why are all of these sweets here?"

Dumbledore looked at them and then back at Harry in amusement. "Well, I made it very apparent to everyone involved that your little excursion into the bowels of the third floor be kept in utmost secrecy. So, naturally, the whole school knows." Harry and Dumbledore laughed at this.

"Yes, they do tend to do that." He said, all too aware that secrets in Hogwarts are almost impossible to keep. Dumbledore, noticing an empty package. "Well, it seems like Ronald has taken the liberty of relieving you of a few of your chocolate frogs. Look at this. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. I used to like them but I had the misfortune in my childhood to run across a vomit flavored bean once. Perhaps I could try one now?" He said, asking Harry.

"Of course." Harry said, not feeling that he wanted to eat any of them.

"Thank you, Harry." He replied, picking a yellow bean. He smiled and said, "Alas….earwax." He laughed a little at this and Harry joined in. "I'll be seeing you later, Harry, good day to you."

"You, too professor." Harry said, smiling as Dumbledore left. Norberta liked Dumbledore. He made her feel safe. Harry sent a brief thought to her, _"I'm glad you approve of him."_

Harry, not knowing the amount of growth their bond had done while he was unconscious, was surprised when Norberta thought back, _"I am glad that he acts in a way that I approve. Are you OK, Harry?"_

 _"Wait, I thought you could only say my name?"_

 _"Our bond has become much greater of late. Your muscles hurt. You are hungry. You need to eat. You need to move and stretch."_

 _"Madam Pomfrey told me not to move before she checks up on my physical status. I will eat, though."_ Harry thought back. This seemed to please Norberta, and Harry ate every last crumb on the plate, wanting more. That thing must have taken a lot of energy out of him. Harry was checked by Madam Pomfrey, given more food, stretched and then jogged down to the Forbidden Forest to be with Norberta. Harry quickly found out that the Ministry of Magic had given Norberta a special rating of intelligence: near-human, nullifying her state as an animal to be controlled. Apparently the news of what went on in the castle that day had spread farther than the castle. Now Harry didn't need to hide her from anyone in fear that they would attack her or take her away.

The rest of the year went smoothly. He got high grades in all subjects, impressing many. The only classes he seemed to be weak in were History of Magic and Potions. The bond between Harry and Norberta increased in strength over time, though didn't perform the leaps and bounds it did when Harry explored the third floor. Norberta herself was rapidly increasing in size and needed more and more food. Harry found out that creatures sometimes made spirit bonds too, as Norberta and Thana had a rather solid one when Harry saw them together again. Thana was now big enough to pass as a rather large green anaconda, except for the fact that he had a hood and can inject you with venom. On the last day of school, Harry put the bond between him and Norberta into hibernation, which basically stopped all effects of the bond from taking effect at a distance. Unfortunately this means that they couldn't talk during the summer, though he now didn't have to endure night terrors anymore. When Harry got back all he would have to do is think about the bond and if he were in range he would be able to know where Norberta was and would be able to share information with her mind.

The summer was pretty unique. After Harry got all of his magical stuff to the Longbottom's, Harry went back to the Dursley's, escorted by Snape, who was dressed exactly the same as the last time. Harry got to tell Dudley, in secret, what the school really was, what happened to him there, and why he hid the truth from his Aunt and Uncle. Dudley listened to every detail, hoping to soak it all up. Harry detected a minor bond growing between them the more of himself he revealed, and then noticed a pattern. The bond grew with trust, and trust is a way you can show that you care about someone and consider them trustworthy. In other words, trust is a minor form of love. Funny how love seems to tie into everything that makes him powerful.

Vernon and Petunia still believed the story about the secret school. However, it seemed like they were slightly suspicious of him. However, it could be that they were just falling back into their old routine of 'Treat Harry Like a Freak of Nature'. Harry came back and was almost immediately welcomed with smaller portions at meals and the common insults and attitude. Whatever had gotten into these people? Maybe they just thought that they should stay strict to prevent Harry from 'slacking'. Oh, well.

 **Well, that was emotional. Tell me if I should change it and how (because I can if I wanted to, and I would want to if your idea was better). If you love it, tell me. If you hate it, tell me. Want me to do something in the future? Then tell me. I am not the only one with their hearts and minds into this story. You can change it, too.**


	6. Hunted and Chosen

AN: "The science show!"

"Piano!"

-SMASH!-

"Whose idea was this?"

(Behind the scenes)

"Oh, sorry, this guy suggested I 'do it' [points at a man covered by a hooded black cloak, he laughs in a cold, twisted voice and says, 'It was a trap, heh heh heh!']

Harry sat on a bench near a bus stop about a quarter mile from what was his house and was staring at the ground. His elbows were on his knees, and he was panting. He had just sprinted from his former home. He was having the worst birthday ever. He knew that his Aunt and Uncle were fading back into their habits, but he didn't know that they would forget his birthday altogether. Then it turned out that Vernon was being interviewed for something about his drilling business. He was then told to keep quiet in his room and pretend that he didn't exist. They didn't even mention that it was his birthday. Not even Dudley, though he would have probably just given him his present in secret at the end of the day because of his parent's behavior towards Harry.

Then, a house elf named Dobby showed up, told him that he couldn't go back to school, and when he refused, smashed a pudding on the visitor's head! Well, it's rather hilarious how Harry had tried to save it. Harry accidentally made it look just like he was the one floating the pudding and hitting the visitor. Not long after that, the visitors were sent home and he was interrogated, Dudley being the only one who didn't seem surprised. Vernon and Petunia noticed all of this and put the pieces together quite fast. The school he went to was a front for a magic school, Harry had told Dudley everything, therefore; not only was Harry not normal, but he had corrupted Dudley. Dudley had insisted that he didn't know anything, but all doubts were obliterated when an owl flew into the room, dropped a letter and left and the letter started talking to Harry about Hogwarts, a Ministry of Magic, underage sorcery, and giving a warning of expulsion.

The first words out of Vernon's mouth was, "You get out of my house, you vile excuse for a human!" And, well, in that instant Harry knew that he wasn't welcome to the only blood relative's house, meaning that the protections were now off, meaning that he had to run for his life to Hogwarts. First he had to get to Neville's house, but he didn't know how to apparate, so he needed to get to the leaky cauldron, which he could do by bus.

Suddenly, an owl landed on his shoulder without making a sound, digging into his shoulder, holding out a letter in its beak, and dropping it onto the floor in front of him, hooting as he left. The letter literally spoke to him, saying in the voice of Albus Dumbledore,

"Harry Potter, I've heard from several of my silver instruments that the bonds have broken and I am coming over immediately. Stay exactly where you are and I will find you. Do not do anything that the Ministry can pin on you, like doing magic in front of a muggle. Most of all, stay safe, Harry. Sincerely and with worry, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

Harry smiled at the letter. Moments later, he heard a 'SNAP!' in the distance, indicating that Dumbledore had arrived. Good. Seconds later, Harry heard a twig snap behind him, and then felt pain engulf his chest and left shoulder as something had clamped down on it. Screaming in pain, Harry looked down at his left shoulder for a split second to see the upper-half of a wolfish jaw biting down into his shoulder, and he was quickly flung from his bench. He landed, quite numbly, on the floor. For some reason, he felt, well, he actually sensed barely anything. His vision was blurring, although that could be because his glasses fell off when he was flung, he could barely feel the bite on his shoulder, he heard a muffled yelling and the sound of flames accompanied by a howling and a bright red light in the top right corner of his vision. He couldn't move. Something about the bite made his body refuse to move. Slowly, Harry realized that he was fading out, and just like that his vision turned black and he drifted into a sleepless rest.

-oOoOo-

Harry woke as slowly as he fell asleep. The first thing he noticed was the smell powerful smell of alcohol mixed with blood. He noticed that he was on a bed and tightly wrapped in a sheet and blanket. Despite this, he felt very cold and began shivering the moment he woke up. It was a feverish shiver, and even though he felt like he was standing in the snow, his breath was hot on his hands. Opening his eyes, he noticed that they weren't blurred anymore, and that everything was much brighter than usual. He saw his glasses on the table and realized that they were now useless. His muscles ached and so did his left shoulder and chest. He was very pale. He was also very hungry. The red flag that popped up in his head wasn't the aches or the paleness. It was the steak on the table next to him. It was bloody, hell it was practically bleeding. He wouldn't be surprised if this steak had only recently been cut off of the animal it belonged to. And it smelled sooo goood! Harry, being hungry as he was, picked it up and began to eat, with table manners, of course. He had the plate under the stake, though it never came with a knife and fork for some reason. Then again, he was so hungry he probably didn't have the patience to use a knife and fork. He was halfway through his stake before he realized what he was doing.

"Why am I eating raw steak?" He said to himself, attempting to shake off the cloud that seemed to encircle his mind, slowing his thoughts. "Why does it taste so good?" He said, digging further into his predicament. But, as Harry had no experience with what was happening to him, his next question didn't tell him exactly what he wanted, "What bit me last night?" He didn't know, so he gnawed on his steak for thought, allowing it to escape him how weird what he was doing really was. The fat actually tasted pretty good, even though he used to hate the fat. Then again he used to hate bloody steak as well. Oh, well.

Harry let his thoughts wander to different things, and the cloud slowly lifted. As he regained his higher brain functions, he looked around, finishing off the last of his stake, taking in every detail. No one else was in the room. He seemed to be in a hospital of sorts, although there were none of the machines he was familiar with. Maybe he was in a wizarding hospital? The table to his right was the one with his steak and glasses. The table to his left had a book on it, called, My Personal Experience With Lycanthropy: A Guide to Overcoming the Beast Within, By Remus Lupin.

Having nothing else to do, he picked up the book and began to read it. The introduction, he felt, was irrelevant, or at least unneeded. It told the reader that they needn't give much credence to what the world thought about their curse, whatever that curse was. He had known this for quite some time, as he could speak parselmouth, had a dragon, a giant snake, and a three-headed dog as companions, and was capable of doing a lot of damage with Unaided Magic, all of which put a powerful stigma around his reputation. What really caught his interest was the next section, which was 'how to tell if you are a werewolf before the full moon.' It basically described his current situation. Remember being bitten by something that left him alone afterward, couldn't sense much of anything after was bitten, passed out and woke up a day or more later and was aching and feverish when he woke. He had a newfound taste for raw meat as well, and had heightened senses. He was also particularly sensitive to smells, sounds, and light. Well, that explained why these strange things were happening to him. So, he was a werewolf. What does that mean for him? He read the next section, conveniently titled 'what being a werewolf means.'

In my personal experience, being a werewolf is very scary. We are rated as 'five X' beasts by the Ministry of Magic and are viewed by the public eye as monsters. Most of us are extremely poor because of the stigma around us and can hardly find a job as a result. Because of this, many of us are forced to steal and scrounge what we need to sustain ourselves, further justifying the stigma around us. Apart from the typical social conditions you now need to be aware of, there are also several physical effects that come with being, and changing into, a werewolf. The full moon triggers our change. Up to a week before the change, you will become noticeably weaker and paler. Though for most people in Europe this won't matter, as most of us are as pale as we can get. During the change, you will not be able to slow down or control your actions or even the change itself. When you are in wolf form, you will not be able to consciously decide whether or not you will attack or even who you attack.

Because of this, you need to be able to hide from people during the full moon. Animals are no problem; werewolves do not attack animals of any kind, just humans. Animagi do not count as human if they are in animal form. A werewolf, when incapable of hurting humans because they are trapped, frequently hurt themselves in frustration. An animal or Animagi companion can make things much less stressful, stopping you from hurting yourself in wolf form. It is also recommended that you take the wolfsbane potion, which allows you to keep your human mind during the transformation.

So, just to recap; Hide yourself every full moon, bring an animal or Animagi to make things easier, and drink a wolfsbane potion if you can get your hands on it. Now, the thing with werewolves that many people fail to realize is that the rejection they face in common society has forced us werewolves to make our own society. This society, though nameless, is made up entirely of werewolves with their own culture and behavior. They are rather basic, as far as courtesy goes. You don't need to know special hand gestures or bowing techniques, but you do need to know the pecking order.

There are several 'packs' of werewolves. There are three classes. The Alphas; the leader of a pack. These werewolves are particularly powerful because of their presence among other werewolves and their magical and martial skill. Any werewolf can automatically sense whether or not another is 'Alpha Material', either by smell, or a strange feeling we get when we are around them. Alphas are werewolves that feel, and frequently are, extremely dangerous. If you are an Alpha, you are very likely to earn respect if you handle yourself correctly, and will often be challenged by other Alphas in certain masculine contests, usually focused around physical or magical ability.

Then there are the Betas, or the normal werewolves. These werewolves have no special abilities and no special rights among the packs. There are also the Omegas. There are very few of these. The Omegas are viewed as outsiders and weaklings, incapable of being a true werewolf. Calling another werewolf an Omega, whether or not they truly are, is an extreme insult and is never taken lightly. Most Omegas were werewolves who were sensed as Alpha Material, challenged an Alpha for the privilege of leading their pack, and then lost without dying. Finally there are the Pack-less. These individuals can sometimes be treated worse than Omegas, but only very rarely, and definitely not if you are Alpha Material.

To challenge an Alpha, you need to attend a pack gathering, which is what all of the packs do the night before the full moon. Then, before the meeting between the Alphas begins, any Betas or Pack-less werewolves will be given the chance to challenge any Alpha. Then, if you challenge an Alpha, the next night on the full moon you and that Alpha will fight in wolf form, usually to the death. If you lose and survive, you are granted the status of an Omega. If the Alpha loses, the Alpha is granted the status of beta. Whoever wins either gains or retains the status of Alpha. As for how to treat other members, that is something that I can't tell you. It really can't be explained without there being many exceptions and it would be much easier for you to figure it out for yourself.

Harry thought that it was a very informative read. He didn't even know werewolves existed before now. Now he had to live according to the disease. His mind flashed to the Room of Requirement. That room would be good help for him in the years to come, both as a hideout and as a place to find out how to cure the thing. After all, Harry found a few books in there that said 'By RoR' on the cover and spine. Maybe it could give him a cure, or at least something that could help him permanently gain control of his mind during changes for the rest of his life, or maybe it could do that and allow him to control when he changes, like an animagus. Come to think of it, despite the apparent losses that he just suffered (let's be honest, it's not like he just lost out on living a normal life or anything) he might actually be able to help werewolves around the world by finding the cure, or at least a way to handle it.

A young nurse walked in with a nervous look on her face. She was looking at him as if he could attack at any moment. Harry spoke first,

"You look like you are afraid of me."

"No, I'm not." She said, no panic showing in her voice, though (and this sounds weird) he could smell a salty smell coming off of her, fear perhaps. He could tell she was new here. She grabbed the plate he had and then motioned to the book, "Do you like the book?"

"Yes. I've never heard about werewolves before, and now I am one. Funny how that turns out, huh?" Harry said while smiling faintly, giving off a tired humor. The nurse looked much calmer after finding out that he wasn't a psychopath just because he was bitten by a werewolf. He spoke again, "You have no reason to be afraid of me. Even if I wanted to attack you, which I don't by the way, I am not in the right physical condition to be able to do that."

"How do you feel?" She asked, switching into 'nurse mode.'

"My bones and muscles ache, I feel like I have a fever. I have a terrible headache, but that's only because all of the new things I am sensing. My eyes don't need glasses anymore, I can hear much better than I used to, and I can smell, and this sounds pretty weird, don't think anything of it, your fear. Honestly, I could just smell myself as well, because I am afraid of what my future holds. I feel scared and alone." Harry said, hoping that the personal, albeit false (he was still trying to completely grasp his situation), touch at the end would prevent her from completely losing it, not that he would blame her. It did calm her down,

"Yep, classical signs of a werewolf bite. You're going to be feeling pretty weak for the next couple of days. Your family is standing outside the door. I've told them to talk in whispers because of your symptoms. Do you know where you are?"

"No. Hey, what was that about a family?" He said, glad she could control her fear.

"You are at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The family we were talking about was the Longbottoms. We have an Augusta and Neville Longbottom here to see you. Your name is James Longbottom, yes? We have been told that you were a distant cousin and that the only two members of your family that could see you were them."

Harry was amazed. Perhaps Dumbledore had put him here under a false name and identity to avoid the press. Genius. "Um….Yes, I am James. Neville and Augusta came? I didn't know they cared." He said, playing the part of someone who just found out that some distant relation knew and cared about them.

"Shall I invite them in?"

"Of course, of course." He said. She went to the door and said quietly, but not quiet enough for him not to hear.

"Ok, you can go in, just keep your voices down and don't be a pain in the ass. He's been through a traumatic experience and needs to stay calm." After thinking about this, he wondered if it was banned to talk this way in a hospital for that very same reason. Speaking up, he said,

"You know, my newfound hearing allows me to hear your whispers." He said. That wasn't entirely fair, though. His newfound hearing, if he focused hard enough, allowed him to hear their heartbeats from the other room. Neville and Augusta came in quietly, the nurse didn't come back. Neville spoke in a whisper that Harry could hear as if he were talking normally,

"How are you doing, Harry?"

"Pretty good. I just ate my first raw stake. I got halfway through it before realizing how strange that really was. I then read this book and found out that I was a werewolf. Do you think they'll let me keep it?"

Neville spoke up, "I actually got that for you, Harry. It's a best seller in Knockturn Alley. Grandma had to take me, though. Got worried about how I'd get kidnapped for ransom or preyed on by a vampire. I said that what we trained to do would stop anything like that from happening, but she insisted."

Harry just weakly smiled and shivered again, "Thank you, Neville. What of you Augusta? How are things with my favorite Grandmother?"

"Things are going well. I want you to know that your Aunt and Uncle have been obliviated and now believe that Dudley got so flying pist at Vernon being rejected that he threw the pudding, and that the next day you left with Professor Snape as usual. Dudley, however, knows the true story. In essence, the protections are now fully functional again, as they now welcome you to the family."

"Did they ever consider that there are going to be at least two whole full moons for every time I'm there for the summer?"

This made them look uncomfortable. "Err….Probably not," said Neville. "Anyway, we'll be taking you home with us, Harry, as usual."

"How will you be able to contain my wolf form?" asked Harry, curious now.

Augusta spoke at this, "Secret padded room in cellar. Some of my family members believed that lycanthropy was a gift. That is, until they found out the tragedies of it, then they just locked themselves in that padded room." Then she rolled up her sleeves, revealing several ugly scars that looked like a mixture of bites and scratches. After that, she took off one of her rings and then her face instantly had scratches on them as well. She put it back on and the scratches went away. "Trust me, Harry. I am not unfamiliar with what you are about to go through. Those scars are from the last one. The healing rate should have cleared them by now, but I am not what I once was. This first one is always the toughest; you should always have a companion with you on your first. You risk bleeding out if you don't."

Harry shivered again, mostly because of the fever, but there was also an element of panic in it as well. It just hit him, on an emotional level, what was going on. Augusta sniffed the air, saying, "You don't need to be afraid, Harry. It isn't much of a change at all. The wizarding world already thinks you are an evil person; all this does is more of the same. The change, at least the first, is all you need to worry about, and I'll be there for you, Harry. It'll be good for me to have some company after all of these years as well."

For some reason, the idea of being in a padded cell with Augusta's wolf form didn't bode well with him. "Do werewolves attack each other, Augusta?"

"No, they actually calm each other. Maybe this time I won't have any scratches." She said, hopefully."

"How many padded cells do you have?"

"Only one, but it is big enough to fit six werewolves in there at a time, back in the day, and werewolves need to roam. The pads, however, remove any chance of sunlight coming in, so we installed some lights in the roof that we can turn on and off with a switch in between some pads. We can also unlock and open the door ourselves, but the lock only functions with human intelligence and limbs, so the wolf can't get out."

"Hey, that one night that you went missing last year-"

"Yes, I was in the cellar. I'm surprised you remembered that night."

"I remember most everything. Why couldn't I hear you?"

"The room is soundproofed. Don't want the kids flipping out over howling and shrieking in the cellar."

"Well, that doesn't make me feel any better."

"Well, you just wait for your first transformation before you make up your mind! Alone it could kill you, you could easily bleed out! But, with another werewolf, even just one, it's quite a rush." She said, staring off into the distance, as if reliving her first transformation.

Neville broke her out of the trance by saying, "Harry, we need to take you home. Do you think you could stand up?" Harry pulled the blankets off of him and stood up. The temperature around him dropped even further and he began shivering again. It was hard for him to stand but he did stand.

"Yes, I think I can."

Augusta spoke this time, "Good. Let's get out of here, then." They headed downstairs and simply left by floo powder. At the Longbottom home, Harry read the rest of the book written by the mysterious werewolf Lupin. He had gotten home and found this year's books already in his room. He was surprised to see that all of them except for one were by someone named Gilderoy Lockhart. Strange. He asked Augusta about it and she just scowled at the books. Apparently Lockhart wasn't a very good person somehow.

The month passed quickly. He finally knew why Neville was always so quiet yet was placed in Gryffindor. His grandmother demanded the quiet, as her hearing was almost as good as Harry's. Augusta gave Harry a simple silver ring with a long-term illusion on it to cover anything that may occur during the first transformation. Before Harry knew it, the time had come for his first full moon.

The pain of growing until their clothes wouldn't fit wasn't exactly pleasant. Because of this, Augusta had an enchanted cloak that would disappear when she changed and would come back when she changed back. Harry got Augusta's deceased husband's cloak. It smelled like it hadn't been used in years, which could be very close to the truth. It still had his scent on it, Augusta said, and he would have to agree. Something about the cloak reminded him of pine and dirt, though the smell was stale. Augusta smelled the old cloak with a near-euphoria.

"I can remember our adventures like it was only last night." She said. "It's a really good thing our property is out in the middle of nowhere. But, with Neville…."

Well, they got into the padded room and waited for the change. It came quickly. Augusta timed it just right, because it had only been two minutes before it started, The lights were off, but Harry could feel the change happening. The most painful part was the teeth. They lengthened and got sharper, particularly the canines. He wasn't able to know what he did while he was doing it and he completely forgot about it afterward as well, even though the book told him he would remember. Whatever happened in there was a complete mystery to him, but Augusta seemed to be proud of him in some strange way. Harry didn't get scratched or bitten at all, though, so he was happy. Augusta said that she did, but wouldn't tell him where, only saying that he had a strong grip, whatever that meant. Neville looked suspicious at this, asking how her 'internal clock' was doing. She said that it was running on all cylinders. Neville's face turned a strange mix of red and green. He refused to speak of the matter at all when asked. For a few days after, Harry smelled a new smell lingering around the house. Whatever that smell came from, it made him strangely restless, and he could barely go to sleep because of it. Asking Neville of the smell only made him turn extremely green and red, though, after recovering from whatever happened to him to make him that way, he said that he couldn't smell it and didn't know what he was talking about.

Soon, it faded from Harry's mind as he thought forward to Hogwarts. He was going to see Fluffy, Thana, and Norberta again. He got the strange impulse to howl when he was thinking of it one morning. Eventually, the time came to leave for the Hogwarts express. He, Neville, and Augusta got there by floo powder, greeted by a giant crowd of people. Harry found Hermione and sat across from her. Neville sat next to her. The three said hello to each other and then just watched as the scenery flew by. Some seconds after the train left, a girl with white/blonde hair and a pale complexion wandered past their compartment, smelling the air. Neville said,

"Well that was strange." This caught Harry's attention,

"What was strange?"

"A girl, probably first-year, just wandered across the hallway, smelling the air for something." And that's when she did it again, only she stopped just before she walked out of sight. She turned around and looked straight into the room, smelling the air only briefly. Harry did this as well, but didn't detect anything out of the ordinary. Then she spoke up, something that Harry seemed to impulsively remember by heart.

Her tone was that of someone that thought many things at the same time. Her voice was soft and calm, hardly varying in pitch. She seemed positive and carried a small smile on her mouth, even when she spoke. Her eyes were very wide, like they were trying to take in the entire world around her. In this way, she said, "Um….May I sit here? All of the other seats are taken."

Harry immediately said, "Sure!" and indicated the spot next to him with his finger. She sat calmly as if in a trance, putting all of her stuff on the brackets above her. Then he asked, "What's your name?"

"Luna Lovegood. What house are you going to be in, Harry?"

"How did you know my name?"

"The scar on your forehead it's about as revealing as a nametag." She said, smiling at him. Luna spoke, "You still haven't told me what house you're in, Harry."

"R-Ravenclaw." He said. For some strange reason, he hoped that she got inside Ravenclaw. For some reason, she was strangely appealing to him.

Hermione then spoke up. "Hey, where's Ron?"

"Ron Weasley?" asked Luna.

Harry spoke up, "OK, now how do you know about Ron?"

Luna answered, "I heard several people in red hair wondering where a particular member of their family went, namely Ron. If my father is correct, the group with the red hair is Weasleys. Something about Ron never coming through the gateway. I do hope he got on the train." Then, Luna's hand got too close to Harry's, brushing it only slightly. She blushed, as did Harry, and said, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to how close we were." Then, She got out a parchment, wrote something on it that was too small for Harry to read at that distance, got her owl out of her cage, gave the owl the rolled up parchment by tying it to its leg, said, "Send this to Xenophilius Lovegood," and threw it out the window.

Neville asked, "Why did you send that letter now?"

"Because the longer we wait, the longer it will take for the owl to get home, since we are moving away from home at an alarming rate. This way, the letter gets home faster, and father will want to know what I know as soon as possible."

Harry asked, "And what is that?"

"Not something that concerns you in this moment, but it could. If it does, I'll tell you." She said, settling into a staring contest with the scenery outside. Harry, noticing this, said,

"Luna, would you like to switch places with me?"

"Why?"

"I noticed that you were staring out the window, and I thought that you might want to get closer so that you could see better."

"No, thank you." She said, smiling sweetly. The rest of the ride continued without incident, and actually got pretty boring until the sweets cart came by. Luckily, Harry kept a stash of his Gringotts money in the Neville home, so he was able to buy everyone snacks, preferring one big lollipop for himself as usual. Luna seemed particularly happy at his thoughtfulness, ordering several chocolate frogs, preferring dark chocolate. Instead of eating them right off the bat, she played with them a little, putting them on her head and letting them jump off and all kinds of other silly things. This really amused Harry, and it didn't take long until he completely ignored the scenery passing by, instead wanting to watch Luna do something else. She was full of character, and probably the most interesting person he had ever met, so interesting that she just might give Dumbledore a run for his money. Hermione seemed to agree, though she didn't like how Luna took her father's words of strange creatures and conspiracies for granted.

Eventually, the train got to Hogwarts, and everyone got off. Harry, Neville, Hermione, and Luna all left together. Luna separated from them because she was a first-year and needed to be sorted. As Harry watched her go, he saw her owl land on her shoulder, handing her a letter. She took it off to read it and the owl flew to the castle. It appears she was right about the letter. When they got to the area they were supposed to get to, Harry saw carriages, each led by a black, winged, and extremely bony horse.

"What is that?" Harry said, looking at the horse.

Hermione said, "What are you looking at, Harry?"

"Oh, you know. The bony, black, winged horse in front of us."

Neville said, "Um….Hermione, do you see any horses around?"

"No." Hermione said, looking closely at where Harry was pointing and seeing nothing. "Harry, are you sure you are not hallucinating?"

"I'm sure. It looks as real as you and me. Nothing strange about it except it's a big, black, winged, and bony horse. It also has a black, turtle-like beak."

"Hmm….Maybe you should ask a teacher about it, Harry." Hermione said, looking rather amused.

Neville said, "You know, Harry, you remind me of Luna." Harry blushed, not knowing if he should take that as a compliment. They got on the carriage and it sped off towards the castle. Suddenly, Harry saw a Flying Ford Anglia above them as he looked into the sky, pulled into a daydream. Pointing, he said,

"Hey guys. Tell me I'm not hallucinating that." They all looked and were astonished.

Neville spoke first, in a whisper, "Is that a Ford Anglia?"

Hermione answered, "It sure looks like it."

Then, Harry put the pieces together, saying, "How did Ron get a flying Ford Anglia?"

They both looked at him with strange expressions, "Harry, how did you know that Ron is the one in that car?" asked Hermione.

"Well, he's the only one that was missing, wasn't he? Maybe he took that thing to school. I sure hope he wasn't seen by anyone else."

It got quiet for a moment, and then Neville spoke up, "You know, Harry, you act a lot like Luna." This made Harry blush for the third time that day.

Harry spoke playfully, giving in to his more childish instincts, "Do not!"

They said simultaneously, "Do, too!" Again, Harry's first instinct was to take this as a compliment, though he was embarrassed by that fact. Because of this, he had a small grin stuck on his face for the entire ride, fueling their jabs about Luna. Eventually they got to the castle and were led to the tables. Neville went to Gryffindor table and Harry and Hermione went to Ravenclaw table. All of the staff except Quirrell was there. In Quirrell's place sat a man that looked to Harry to be Snape's brother. He had dark hair that was so short that it looked buzz cut. He wondered what he would be teaching them this year.

Then, all of the first-years walked in, led by McGonagall. Harry quickly caught Luna's eye. She smiled at him and, for the briefest of moments, seemed to reveal in her complexion that she was focusing on nothing but him. What he saw there was alien to him. No one had ever looked at him like that. Hermione saw it, too, saying that it was weird. McGonagall began introducing the concept of the sorting hat, and then was interrupted by a Severus Snape, who spoke to her in a whisper that only one other person could hear, namely Harry.

"We have a situation involving your house. I need you and Dumbledore immediately."

"Are you sure this can't -"

"I'm sure."

Then, he walked up to Dumbledore saying, "We have a situation involving the international decree of secrecy and one of our students. I need you and McGonagall immediately."

With a grim expression, he said, "Very well, Severus." And both he and McGonagall followed him out. Moments of silence followed, and then professor Flitwick resumed the sorting. 'Lovegood, Luna' got 'RAVENCLAW!' After about a millisecond of having the hat on, then immediately went over to Harry and Hermione and sat next to Harry, saying, "I got Ravenclaw, too!"

Harry asked, "What were you thinking when you put the hat on?"

"I was thinking of the hat yelling Ravenclaw."

"I was thinking the same thing when I went."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to be influenced by those in Slytherin, I didn't want to be a typical Gryffindor, I wasn't very loyal too much, and I loved to question and seek truth. Why did you pick Ravenclaw?"

"That's not something that I could tell you. At least not yet, Harry." Luna said, being, once again, focused on only him when he thought he had her pinned as someone that always had multiple things on their mind at the same time. Like him.

Dumbledore returned and delivered announcements, the feast began, and then it ended. After the feast, Dumbledore walked down to Harry, saying, "Follow me, Harry. You too, Luna." Harry was extremely curious as to what was going on, thinking that it could have something to do with him being a werewolf. Or worse, that he was seen to have been bitten, and Dumbledore was seen to have set the werewolf on fire with magic, meaning that his loss of vigilance let the secret of the wizarding world get out. His stomach clenched for a second, then he thought of the Flying Ford Angela and he thought to himself, 'How often do you see a flying car?'

Well, the car was a much more obvious problem, meaning that he wasn't likely in trouble, but by the tone of Dumbledore's voice, there was something serious going on. Luna showed no signs of knowing what it was, now lost in daydreaming of the ceiling of the Great Hall. Speaking of daydreams, Harry quickly digressed to a curious thought, wondering how wizards have avoided detection for so long. Sure, we have our wards and our invisibility and our muggle clothes, but a kid getting hold of something magical and flippantly using it in public would happen frequently enough to-."

"Lemon Drop," said Dumbledore, interrupting his thought. Harry took control of his senses and observed a Gargoyle spinning upward, seemingly producing a staircase, upon which he now stood, being led up by the headmaster. Upon getting to the top of the staircase, Dumbledore opened a door that appeared in front of him and the three of them walked through. This is when Luna came out of her own daydream and began to look around at what had apparently been Dumbledore's office. Harry, however, was focused on the strange man that he saw.

He wore pure white suit jacket, shoes, and slacks, while his suit shirt, shoelaces, and socks were canary yellow. Something that stood out among the mix was his eyes and tie, both of which were the brightest blue, almost white. His eyes were doing tricks on him, showing him a white tie and then a sky-blue tie, each time the man's eyes representing the other of those two colors. With all of these colors together, as well as his hair, which was a pure, vibrant white, he appeared to be some sort of angelic figure. Luna's clothes were the standard black of Hogwarts cloaks, which, when mixed with Luna's own almost white hair and bright-white skin, brought on a stark contrast that made the black blacker and the white whiter. Her eyes were blue as well, but much darker blue than the man before them, reminding Harry of a deep blue ocean. He noticed that she was staring at him, which reminded him that he was staring at her, which made him immediately blush, (for the fourth time. Or was it the fifth time? Whatever.) And look away. Dumbledore seemed to brighten at this, a smile appearing on his face.

"Well, this might not be as uncomfortable for you as I first thought Harry." Dumbledore said. This grabbed Harry's attention and he was now listening.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"What I am about to tell you might be emotionally racking, and you might reject the idea at first [At the mention of the word 'reject', Luna flinched and her constant smile seemed to fade somewhat. The man in white seemed to give Luna a worried expression.] But I want you to be considerate of Luna's feelings, Harry."

Harry, now expecting the worst, asked, "Um, what is this all about, professor?"

But Dumbledore wasn't interested on immediately saying what he had to say, turning to the man in white, "This, Harry, is Luna's father, Xen-"

"Xenophilius, hello." Harry interrupted, shaking the man's hand. He had a firm grip, but he held a worried, almost tense look in his eye. And something else….Was that a threat? A protective gleam? A mix of both? Whatever it was, Harry now felt responsible and guilty of failing. At what, he didn't know, but he felt it. Perhaps the man was trying to communicate a sense of finality, that what is to be said today is not to be taken lightly or brandished in a joking way. His eyes instilled seriousness into Harry that Dumbledore hadn't yet. He hoped that he didn't fail Xenophilius. Especially because this was Luna's father and Luna was a very interesting person that he wished to be with more often. His expression changed to curiosity upon the shake ending, though the tense attitude still showed through his visage.

"You know of me?" He asked, glancing at Luna briefly.

"Only your name. Luna sent you a letter from our compartment on the train. The urgency she did it with told me that you needed to know as soon as possible, and when I walked in here I knew that you could be Xenophilius Lovegood, which I now know you are." At this, the tense expression on his face seemed to fade slightly, and then came back again. Whatever was going on in his head must be really worrying him, and he got the sense that it was Luna on the line. Maybe her future. Maybe her life. What Harry had to do with it all bewildered him, and then he considered something that made him blush once again. Xenophilius spoke

"You remind me so much of Luna." He said, smiling slightly.

"That'll be the third time that's been said to me today." Xenophilius laughed at this. Harry continued, smiling slightly and staying calm. Something about the Lovegoods made him want to act like them. Maybe he wasn't acting at all, "My first instinct is to take it as a complement."

Luna smiled at this, saying, "Thank you, Harry." And smiling as he was smiling. Dumbledore had a very amused expression on his face. That is when he chose to speak,

"Anyway, Harry, back on topic. What do you know about veela?"

"Only what I read about in my third book for Unaided Magic. They make incredibly powerful bonds with their Bondmate, who they identify, but don't choose, through a system of sight, smell, and touch. It can frequently end in a happy and prosperous marriage, something that I sometimes fantasize about having when I'm thinking and alone. Admittedly, I think about it frequently, how I could raise a family and have someone that understands me with me till the day I die without fear of betrayal or abandonment. Someone that I can share my deepest darkest secrets with and who would know that they could trust me just as completely, telling me all of theirs in turn….Well, I think much deeper about this but I will spare you the finer details. Besides, since I am no veela and don't know very many veela, it's very likely that those are just going to continue to be daydreams rather than reality." He said this in a dreamy tone while looking at the ceiling, reminding everyone else in the room of Luna Lovegood. As he said this, he sensed Dumbledore, Xenophilius, and especially Luna release the tension that had been building up within them. This grabbed his attention, asking, "Wait….what did I say to release the tension?"

Dumbledore spilled the beans, a vibrant smile on his face and a glimmer in his eye, "Harry, Luna is a veela. You are her Bondmate."

This made Harry's eyes widen. Struck with the sudden realization that someone's life depended on him accepting them, He began to panic, trying to determine the consequences of Luna and her father discovering that he was a werewolf. What if she rejects him? Could he hide it? No, spending her entire life with him will reveal all of his secrets, besides, this one kept secret will spoil the whole thing. Apparently he had stayed silent too long, because the room had grown tense again and a slight look of horror gripped Luna's visage. Harry spoke to relieve tension.

"Luna, the only thing keeping me from accepting the bond right here and now is fear that you would regret it later. Is there anything about your understanding of me that would cause you to reject me if it changed?"

Her look of horror was immediately replaced with pure joy and the tension was released from the room once more. Then, her joy was replaced with a dreamy stare at the wall as she began thinking again. "Um….Are you real?"

"Yes."

"Dead?"

"No."

"Relatively human?"

"..."

"Harry?" Harry's heart plummeted when 'human' came from her mouth. No, he was not, and a pain gripped his heart.

"No."

"Well, what are you, then?"

"I'm a werewolf, Luna. I'm so sorry." At this point, he was pretty emotionless. A device he used to protect himself from pain. He had gotten used to using it all his life. Norberta, whose bond with Harry had come out of hibernation mid-conversation, sent across soothing feelings.

"Harry, just because you have a disease doesn't mean that you aren't human. Besides, even if you do become less human in the future, it would only serve to make you a much more interesting person." That, as well as Norberta's support, helped Harry's emotions start to wake up again. Reexamining her list, He realized that she was being sarcastic. Rejuvenated, a smile appeared on his face and he said,

"I'm so glad you think that, Luna," and pulled her into a gentle, yet firm hug that communicated, 'I accept your bond.' This triggered Harry to see a thin blue mist settle on them, which then slowly thickened into blue tendril's that connected their minds. Harry was the only one that could see this, but both of them could certainly feel it. It felt like a warmth. The good kind of warmth you get from coming inside on a cold day, except it was different. It affected their hearts and minds, and even their very souls, as if the very core of their being desperately needed this and they had gone cold without it, only to become warm and alive again when they find it. The hug was long and both ended up happily breathing the other's scent, Harry more than Luna, before Dumbledore broke it up. Xenophilius, however, had no intention of breaking anything up and looked almost murderous when Dumbledore did, as he was trained in spirit magic and saw the bond stop forming as soon as they pulled apart and paid attention to Dumbledore.

"Ok, you two, you need to know a little more before you begin to spend time together-"

Xenophilius cut in, "Dumbledore, I don't think you should be interrupting their bonding time. The bond has stopped forming."

"Um….Try holding hands." They gladly did, settling into their new instincts easily, blushing and smiling as they did it. Immediately, the bond began forming again and Xenophilius went back to his normal self, telling Dumbledore that it had worked. Dumbledore resumed. "Well, still some more to know. Firstly, you are both not going to be sleeping in your Ravenclaw dormitories. Instead, we will be giving you two separate bedrooms connected by a common room. This will serve to keep others away from you when the bond is forming. Your things have already been moved into that common room. If you have any wishes or requests concerning the state or quality of the material within the common room or the common room itself please let me know. I will make any changes, wanted or needed, as long as it is welcome. We will show you there shortly.

"Also, while the bond is settling you will not have to attend classes. I have been required to give you up to a month without investigation, and then any extensions will require you to be examined by someone trained in Spirit Magic for every day it is extended. While you are not attending classes, each professor will be required to write a summary of all that was taught every day and will give you your homework and summaries at the end of every day. They will go to your common room to give this to you. Luna, you are going to be the one to handle as much of the social interaction as possible, a reason I am sure your father has told you, but I'll say it for Harry's benefit. Veela are extremely protective of their Bondmate while the bond is settling and have very strong instincts to attack what they think are threatening said Bondmate at said time. Any intrusion on their Bondmates personal space could easily be seen as an attack by the deeply ingrained instincts of the bonded veela. Considering that a veela's natural form of attack is to throw fireballs, I'd rather not risk getting a member of the faculty or student body being burnt to a crisp. Do you think you two can handle that?"

"Yes." They both said with enthusiasm. And so, Dumbledore personally escorted them to their common room.

 **What do you think of that one? Too sudden? Not exactly realistic? Perfect? Exciting? Tell me. Also, what do you want to happen in the future. I must know!**


	7. Lockhart, Norris, Tamed

**AN: If a tree falls down in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does anyone care?**

The common room was unnecessarily large. So large, in fact, Harry almost considered allowing Thana to come live there, but that was quickly dismissed when he considered the waste problems and the fact that they were a few stories up from the floor. Besides, Harry could still visit Thana, as well as Norberta, in the Forbidden Forest. Luna would enjoy that.

The fireplace on the right wall had a fire going and was decorated with the Ravenclaw colors. In front of the fire was a small couch that Vernon would have called a loveseat. There was an identical one facing the opposite direction behind it. In front of that couch was a table and on the other side of that table was a big couch. Across from the table from Harry's perspective, there was a big table with chairs. Harry guessed this was a table they could use for eating and doing work. On the other side of the room was a hallway that had three doors at the end. The ones on the left and right led to bedrooms and the one down the middle led to a bathroom. The bathroom had a sink, shower, and toilet. Luna spoke in an airy voice

"Well, this is cozy. I wonder what the other common rooms look like." They found their things on the couch next to the fire place.

"I'm going to put my things in my room."

"Okay, Harry." Luna said, doing the same. They walked down the hall, and then felt something when they parted ways into their rooms.

"Do you feel that, Luna?"

"The prickling in your fingers and toes? The anxiety?"

"Yes."

"That's one of the symptoms of the bond settling. The further apart we are from each other, the worse it gets. Do you think you could go to sleep feeling it?"

"No."

"Well come out here, then." Luna said, walking back to the common room. Harry found her on the loveseat across from the fire. She patted the seat and he sat. Luna held his hand and he held hers back. Something had changed about her appearance, and Harry looked at her.

"Whoa, you're-"

"Beautiful? Yes, I just let my veela aura loose. I've been holding it in for the whole day because I didn't want you to recognize me as veela." This made Harry pause. Then he said, gripping her hand a little tighter

"Why would you want to hide that from me?"

"For the same reason you wanted to hide being a werewolf. I feared you would reject me."

"Well, I would never reject you. Of all of the people to choose me, you happened to be the most like me. To reject you would be like rejecting me." She blushed at this, laughing a little as she did.

"I'm glad you think that way. So, you're a werewolf, huh? Any other strange things I would want to know about you?"

"Well, it would take a while to explain."

"Explain what?"

"OK, let's begin. My first year here I made a class that I taught in the Room of Requirement. Its main focuses were dueling and protective Unaided Magic. I held a separate class for only me, Hermione, and Neville, which explored all of the ways Unaided Magic could be used, effectively making us the most dangerous students in school, possibly the most dangerous people. Hermione took these classes over for me because I had acquired a Mother's Love Bond with a Norwegian Ridgeback called Norberta after seeing her hatch. This bond also pulls me to spend time with her-"

"Wait, what?"

"Do not worry. She is in the Forbidden Forest. There are no people around."

"That's not what I'm asking about. How did you get a Norwegian Ridgeback?"

"Someone used it to convince Hagrid to tell him how to steal the sorcerer's stone. Hagrid let me watch it hatch because I shared his enthusiasm for dangerous creatures. My training in soul bonds acted as a catalyst for the bond that followed."

"You sure had a busy year last year."

"You have no idea. Anyway, I share simpler bonds with most of the other creatures I've come in contact with, including an entire acromantula colony, most of the people I taught at this school, Hagrid, My pet snake, that bony flying horse that drew the carriage I rode to the castle-"

"That's called a thestral. Only people who have seen death can see them."

"That explains why no one else can see them."

"Except for me, Harry." Harry grew silent at this, then said,

"Who did you see die?" The bonds around them grew faster now.

"My mother. She liked to experiment with spells and one day one of them went terribly wrong." Harry felt sorry for her. He said quietly,

"I'm sorry, Luna." She squeezed his hand, saying,

"There is no reason to be sorry, but I appreciate it." The bonds around them were practically flying at this point, and all they did is remain silent and stare at the fire, thinking about what was said. Harry could feel Norberta's sorrow for Luna as well as his own. The night grew old and they grew very tired. Harry fell asleep first, slumping on the arm of the loveseat. Luna fell asleep leaning on Harry only moments later.

-oOoOo-

Luna woke up to Harry's night terror. He was still stuck in the dream, but he was thrashing and yelling at the top of his lungs. Luna was thrown off the loveseat and woke up falling. It took a few seconds to realize what exactly was happening, but Luna successfully shook Harry awake.

"Harry! Harry! Wake up, Harry!" She yelled at him, shaking him, yet was calm the entire time. He woke up quickly, and calmed after a few minutes of shivering and quiet. After those minutes, Harry said in a tired, regretful voice, head in his hands as he lay on the loveseat in the fetal position,

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that, Luna."

"Why did that happen?" She said, angry and calm at the same time, though not angry at him. Harry could see flames play on her hand. He sat up and tried to explain calmly,

"It's one of the small conditions of a Mother's Love Bond. Every couple days or so, I get a night terror that I've never encountered before. It involves Norberta being harmed. I haven't bothered to get rid of it, because I've found a way to forget everything that had happened after I wake. Now I suppose that it needs to change, since I'll probably be waking you up that way a lot if I don't. I think the Room of Requirement could help me with that. However, we need to do that later; right now we need to go to Norberta."

"I'm sorry that you go through that, Harry."

"It's no problem. Do you want to see a dragon?" Her eyes widened, if that were possible,

"Yes, but we should eat first." At the word 'eat', several plates, two of them empty, appeared on the big table that Harry had thought was for work. Many of them were desserts. Luna seemed glad at this, eating much of the sweets after finishing her main course. The bond seemed to be giving her a sweet tooth. Or maybe she always had one. Her veela aura was practically glowing and she looked better than last night. Did that have something to do with the bond, or perhaps the sweets? Maybe both.

Set aside for Harry were two big, bloody steaks. They were warm, but not hot, as if whoever prepared the food only recently cut it off of an animal and then just sent it to him. Harry didn't eat any of the sweets or veggies because they seemed to give him indigestion. So did wheat, which cut the toast and desserts off of his diet too. So, Harry ate the steak, which he basically inhaled because of how good it tasted.

"I wonder how they make this steak." Harry asked.

"They probably just cut it off of the cow and give it to you as-is. Does it taste good?"

"Very." He said between bites. "Do you like your dessert?"

"Yes. I haven't tasted some of these." She ate leisurely, choosing her deserts carefully and calmly, a constant smile on her face. Harry, however, ate like his meal would run away if he didn't eat fast enough. An instinct that had probably bled through from the beast within. Stopping briefly to breathe, Harry said,

"You look more beautiful than last night, which is saying something. Why is that?"

"It gets stronger with the bond." She said simply, eating a unique-looking chocolate muffin. "Mmmm. You need to try this."

"Sorry. Every time I try to eat anything that isn't meat, I get really bad indigestion."

"It's your loss." She said calmly, finishing off her muffin and grabbing another sweet that he wasn't able to identify. They ate close together and didn't seem to be bothered by the eating noises or the mess that resulted, although most of it was caused by Harry. Luna, rather than being disgusted, smiled like she was watching a child do something rather amusing. After the meal, Harry cleaned up all of the mess, which wasn't hard at all. All he had to do is say,

"Looks like we're done." and the mess disappeared with the leftovers and dishes.

-oOoOo-

They went down to the Forbidden Forest after that, visiting Norberta and Thana. Luna liked them, and apparently shared Harry's liking for dangerous creatures. They found the Thestrals that had pulled the carriages. Harry, remembering Ollivander's request, bonded with them and asked the leader of the herd for a tail hair. The thestral freely gave it and Harry put it into a plastic bag labeled; _Thestral Hair, Freely Given._ When Luna found out about the request, she gave him one of her hairs. So, now he had a Thestral tail hair and a veela hair, both freely given.

Harry and Luna later went to the Room of Requirement, which generated a book that was called, _How to Guard Your Mind from Night Terrors, by RoR._ It was all written in green ink, something that seemed to only happen when the room itself writes in the books. Harry noticed that some books, though not entirely written by the room, say, in green ink, _co-authored by RoR._ In these books, there are sections that could be the length of some lines to the length of several chapters, all written in green ink. These sections had knowledge that Harry and Luna had never heard of and provided insight on something that they would have otherwise completely missed. Harry wondered if it could cure his being a werewolf. They tried it, but the room gave him nothing. Just an empty room. Oh, well.

The bond only took about three days to settle, so Harry and Luna were back at classes. The prickling sensation didn't occur at the exact moment they left each other. Now it only took a couple of hours, so they could sit separately in classes but needed to hold hands in between classes.

Their first notable class was with Gilderoy Lockhart himself. He was dressed in all black and reminded him of Snape. His hair was cut military-short and he had little body fat. He didn't smile, and he eyed everyone in the room as if they were going to try to attack him. Despite this, all of the windows were open to let in the sunshine and outside air. The room was dead silent and when he spoke, the tension in the room increased.

"Who here has ever encountered an agent of the dark arts?"

Harry was the only one to raise his hand.

"Come here, please." Lockhart said with a slight scowl. He seemed disappointed that he only had one. Harry approached quickly. When he got there Lockhart asked, "What did the agent look like?"

"Professor Quirrell, sir."

"Yes and how did he act?"

"Like a coward. He would jump at the smallest sounds and was scared of everyone."

"Did you ever suspect him?"

"No."

"Exactly. Go sit back down." He said. His frown deepened and his eyebrows scrunched together. He began pacing. "You will never expect it. You cannot avoid it. You will always encounter it. Agents of the dark arts are all around us. I am one such agent."

Everyone in the room except Harry and Luna gasped. Dumbledore invited this man into the castle?

"But do not worry. I am not alone here. You are one," at this he pointed at a seemingly random person in the second row, "and you are one," another random person, last row this time. "And even you, Harry Potter." He said, pointing right at Harry. "Tell me, Harry, what is the one thing that separates those that are good and those that are evil?"

"Hate, I believe."

"Wrong. It is love. Hate is simply the absence of love, and not a thing itself. Love cannot be entirely defined, but we know that it is characterized by empathy and understanding. One time, I was able to understand my enemy in all of his feelings and ways. The very moment I felt this, I loved him. I knew exactly how to destroy him. I knew every one of his weaknesses. However, I could not bring myself to destroy him because I knew not only the rational reasons as to why he did what he did, but I could feel exactly why he did what he did for me. The only thing I could do is prevent him from ever harming others again. I did this by showing him love."

"Wait, if hate is an absence, then how come we can feel it?" Asked Hermione, who briefly received a deadly look from the professor.

"Because we are all, by nature, loving. It is our natural social tactic to love. As children, we are full of love, exploring and discovering new frontiers. Appreciating beauty, gathering memories. However, as we age, that love starts to fade. Pictures become paintings on canvas rather than a window into a person's soul, and then they just become images. Animals become mindless machines rather than lively works of beauty, and then they just become items for sale. When that happens, when the love fades away and you stop caring about the people around you and you stop seeing the beauty for what it is, you take your first step into becoming an agent of the dark arts."

At this point, many people felt skeptical, but none dared interrupt. He continued, "We are all beginning to become such agents. All of us are beginning to lose our love of the world around us and those with us. The only two people who I would think would be the last ones in here to be corrupted are Harry and Luna, there. Can anyone tell me why?"

A boy Harry didn't recognize raised his quivering hand in the air. He was picked, "Um, is it because they are boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"No. Such relationships may steadily grow one's appreciation for beauty, but one bad break-up is sometimes enough to make life seem empty of all of the beauty one once saw before. Any other takers? Hermione, give someone else a shot. Yes, Harry?"

"Luna and I share a powerful Soul Bond."

"And what, exactly are the properties of said bond?"

"We can share feeling, thought, and memory with each other, we are within each other's minds constantly. Sometimes I can't even feel a difference between me and her, but that's only when we are just sitting there and sharing thoughts, not really focusing on anything."

"Yes, good, Harry. How do you feel when you consider leaving Luna?"

"I haven't yet, sir."

"Excellent! Now try to."

"I don't want to sir."

"How did you feel when I asked you to do that?"

"Disgusted, sir. I hate the idea, sir."

"Why?"

"Because to consider leaving her is like considering whether I should cut off a limb, except this limb is much more beautiful than the rest of my body. She makes up the best part of me, and I could never imagine leaving her. If I were to leave her, sir, I would live a cursed life. A half-life. A life empty of Joy, Peace, and Love."

"But, my dear boy, you have only been with her for three days! You can't seriously expect me to believe that you will spend your life with her until one of you die!"

"This is where you need to understand the magnitude of a Soul Bond, professor. With a Soul Bond, we are able to completely appreciate the unique beauty that the other holds, and are able to understand the other better than we understand ourselves. This prevents anything coming between us and corrupting the relationship while simultaneously making this relationship as rewarding as possible. Where other relationships fail with communication and other things, Soul Bonds prevail. That is why it took me only three days to know that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Luna." Several witches in the room looked envious of Luna. Luna was simply beaming. The blue bonds between Harry and Luna grew thicker and denser at an extreme rate.

"Exactly. Soul Bonds prevail where simple communication cannot. It tears down the brick walls we build around our hearts and joins us with another living thing to completely know the beauty of that thing. Now, Harry, I am aware that you have taught many here about Unaided Magic. Have you taught them about Soul Magic?"

"Not very much, sir. I mostly focused on combat."

"Oh, this can be used for combat as well, Harry. Anyway, I am now going to teach the class Soul Magic. Everyone stand up and move to the wall on your right." Everyone did, and Lockhart waved his wand, causing all of the desks to stack along the opposite wall. Then he said, "Good. Form a line along that wall you're standing at." Everyone did as they were told. "Now, I am going to give each of you an animal that I have enchanted with a waste-clearing charm. This animal will be chosen based on your personality. Your job is to take care of it. If you neglect it, another enchantment I've put on them will return it to me. If you do not neglect it, you get to keep it. But, you have to feed it, spend time with it, and grow a bond between you two. Harry, what ways do you know of to form a simple bond between you and an animal or friend?"

"Umm….just spend time with it and show it appreciation. Basically, be something to it and a bond will form to match what the relationship is."

"Yes, that is the common way, but I have found a way to start a bond that makes forming a strong bond much easier to do. When you get your animal, get out your wands and point it at your animal, saying the words; Eder Jakitea." [pronounced eeder jack-eet-ae-uh]

Harry got an astoundingly beautiful pure white wolf, which he called Asmund, while Luna got a young boa constrictor, who she called Cuddles. Harry and the wolf began bonding immediately, the bonds growing thick within minutes. Luna grew a bond as well, but it didn't get thick as fast as Harry's did. It did, however, become much more powerful than everyone else's bond. No one else, not even Hermione, was able to form a bond very much stronger than what Lockhart's spell had allowed, although a few of the women in the class did grow theirs a little. Lockhart spoke again.

"Now, as you are the last class today, I will say this. Your progression was better than Slytherin. For some reason, only one or two of them were able to successfully make their bond grow larger. Gryffindor wasn't much better, sporting only three or four. This class did better than I had expected, considering that it contains about seven kids who have made their bond grow. Hufflepuff outstripped you all, having all but one student make their bond grow, quite a few of them being almost as powerful as the one's that Harry and Luna are developing with theirs. It seems that there is a link between Soul Bonds and loyalty. Also, as there are many more females than males making these bonds, it seems that their socially open nature helps them appreciate another living thing, while the male tactic of being closed-off and 'tough' seems to weaken their ability to bond, and, by extension, weakens themselves. In growing these bonds, you must return to when you were young and life was full of wonder and mystery and beauty. You must feel this way with your animal and only your animal. For your animal, there must be a passion that you feel for nothing else. Now, this assignment will be the final for this section. As soon as you are all able to form a system of communication between you and your animal, we will be exploring using these animals as a form of attack or defense on various fields."

One woman, who was holding a guinea pig, asked, "How can my pet attack or defend?"

Lockhart said, "Bonds allow a mind to become more powerful than the original complexity that a brain allows, yet the self remains as two people. Because of this, your guinea pig will gain your intelligence, yet will be able to act as a separate entity. You can use this to your advantage by training your Bondmate to defend your mind while you cast spells in battle, and since the bond, when powerful enough, isn't affected by distance, you could be in another country fighting death eaters and your Bondmate will be able to independently set barriers around your mind or attack the minds of your enemies without risking his or her health. I have used this technique and have discovered it to be highly effective, as your enemy is incapable of fighting a dueling war on two fronts. Now, in the meantime we are going to be exploring dueling itself. I will be teaching you a few spells and techniques next class and will probably be able to squeeze a duel in there. I will be making a club for the same purpose. Harry, you up for a duel?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. You will be against me. Maybe we can fit in another dueling couple later. For now, class dismissed."

-oOoOo-

The next day was as he had said. Lockhart taught them a few simple blocking spells and then, near the end of class, said,

"You can all do those spells, then? Good. Harry, stand up and move to the front of the classroom, everyone else move to the back." He waved his wand when his orders were followed and all of the desks and chairs moved to the walls, giving them quite a large amount of room to work in. They readied their wands, bowed to each other, and then assumed the positions they wished to fight in.

Lockhart spoke first, "We are only to disarm. Do you understand?"

"Yes professor."

"Good. 3...2...1...go."

Lockhart and Harry both fired their spells, both of them were offensive. Harry caught Lockhart's with a spell siphon while Lockhart dodged Harry's and fired another spell, which Harry got with the siphon again and it collapsed, giving off a bright flash of light. Lockhart was stunned only for a moment but the moment was enough, as Harry disarmed him with his 'Expelliarmus.'

"Good, Harry, good. Now things will get a little harder. Again. 3...2…

Lockhart started on '2' and silently fired a spell, barely twitching his wand. Harry ducked, barely dodging it. Suddenly, Harry felt a pressure around his mind, and it was prying violently. Lockhart fired another spell directly at Harry's chest. Harry siphoned it off and began rooting so that he could siphon off more. He sensed the pressure release from his mind as Norberta and Asmund helped fight back the intruder. Lockhart's eye twitched as he fired off three spells in quick succession, all of which Harry siphoned and retaliated with another 'Expelliarmus', which Lockhart attempted to block with 'protego', but the spell had too much strength behind it. The ward shattered and threw Lockhart back, effectively disarming him.

There was a round of applause. Lockhart got back up and said, "I had underestimated you, Harry. You're doing very well at this for someone as young as you. Now, I will not be holding back. Again. 3…"

He began on '3' this time, firing a spell that split to attack him at both sides, preventing him from siphoning them both. Harry assumed his shadow form, allowing the spells to pass right through him and collide in a flash of light that forced him back into his regular form. When he entered his regular form, Lockhart had already fired three spells aimed at different parts of Harry and was now attacking his mind again. Norberta and Asmund both did their duty, now giving it their all. Harry blocked all three spells with one 'protego' and it shattered. It would have thrown Harry back if he hadn't put air pressure behind the ward. Because of the extra pressure, the shock wave went forward instead. Lockhart neutralized it with a lazy flick of his wand, smiling as he did so.

"You'll have to try harder than that, Harry." He said in a nonchalant tone as he launched a silent spell at him again, which Harry blocked with his patronus aura. Harry figured that fighting him on his own terms was useless. He put his wand back in its holster and simply radiated calm feelings in waves of the brightest light. He floated and grew a sphere of protective light around him, maximizing his shielding. Lockhart was now launching many spells at him, which Harry ignored, sending out waves of calm and submissive feelings so powerful that he could see them. The pressure on his mind returned as Lockhart could now focus entirely on attacking with his mind, but Harry's thoughts became blank and he felt Lockhart being affected by the waves he was sending out. Everyone was being affected. Everyone around Harry stopped caring about much of anything and just wanted to go to sleep. Eventually a few did. Lockhart stopped attacking Harry, succumbing to the peace Harry gave off. This was eventually mixed in with joy as Harry's thoughts awoke and turned to Norberta and Luna. Those who felt these waves began to feel the urge to cry in happiness. It slowly faded and Harry slowly settled back onto the ground. Lockhart holstered his wand, tears threatening to leave his eyes.

As he wiped his eyes, Lockhart said in a tired voice, "That….That was good, Harry. I wonder what Voldemort would go through if he felt that."

"He already has. He turned to dust when the single wave I launched hit him. I don't think he's going to make the same mistake again."

-oOoOo-

The days passed to the weekend and Harry decided to wake early. He had finally made a full recovery from the last full moon and he guessed he was up this early because all of the energy that his sickness had prevented him from using to rest was now ready to be dispensed. Harry walked down to the Quidditch pitch with Luna and Hermione. Ron and Neville met them there following the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and sat with them below the area where they would play. Harry, having not seen Ron for the better part of half a year, asked him questions about his summer.

As it turned out, the reason why he wasn't on the train to Hogwarts was because the doorway from King's Cross station to the Hogwarts Express station had closed on him after the rest of his family went through. He then told Harry a crazy story about how he had taken his parent's enchanted Ford Anglia and flew it to Hogwarts, effectively causing the biggest infraction of the international statute of secrecy of three decades. He also told Harry that he broke his wand by crashing the car into the Whomping Willow, which then proceeded to smash the crap out of the car that landed on it. Harry grabbed onto this detail, asking if it had very many long, straight sticks that grew off of it. Ron affirmed this, saying that he had, however, caused significant damage to it. Harry had to visit that tree, bond with it, and then figure out some way to tell it to give him one of its sticks, so that he had some wood for Ollivander to make him a new wand.

A few moments later, Harry noticed the Slytherin Quidditch team entering the field. Harry and company, as well as the Gryffindor Quidditch team, went to them. Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, was very angry about it, talking about how they had booked the field. Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch captain, gave Wood a note from Snape about training a new seeker. Wood asked,

"Who's your new seeker?" Malfoy stepped up, brandishing a new broom. All of them did. Wood continued, pale now, "Are those nimbus two thousand and ones?"

Malfoy spoke, "Yep. It's a brand new gift from my father." He held himself like he was already the greatest seeker of the age. Hermione spoke,

"Wow, bribing your way into Quidditch? And I thought you had some integrity, Malfoy."

"No one asked you, you filthy little Mudblood!" Malfoy spat. At that moment, Harry knew two things. Not only did Malfoy just insult Hermione in front of all of her friends, but Ron was going to curse Malfoy with a broken wand to defend her. Ron raised his wand and shouted,

"Eat sl-!"

Pushing Ron's wand down, Harry gave him a look that said, 'not a good idea' and then began speaking to Malfoy,

"I assume that you called her that because you are pureblood and she's Muggleborn?"

Malfoy stopped for a second, taken that Harry was the only one besides Hermione and Luna that looked calm, "Um, yes."

"I assume that what you just called her is an insult?"

"Yes. I thought that was obvious." A few of his friends laughed a little.

"Do you think you are a better sorcerer than Hermione?"

He paused, and then said, "Yes." With some degree of uncertainty.

"Then a little duel between you two shouldn't be a problem, right? Or are you a coward that can't deal with a Mudblood?" Everyone looked at Harry, Malfoy, and Hermione with curiosity, many of them probably thinking, 'you gonna take that, Malfoy?'

After a few moments' hesitation, "I'll duel," said Malfoy, looking nervous. He drew his wand and so did Hermione. Harry said,

"This is to be a fair game. If I catch any of you cheating, those watching are to take it that the cheater finds themselves incapable of defeating his or her opponent fairly, and the opponent officially wins. The aim of this duel is to disarm and all spells used will only be capable of disarming. If your opponent is hurt by a spell that you cast, I will personally and severely punish the individual that cast the harmful spell. The game begins on my go. 3….2….1….go."

Malfoy, as expected by Harry, Ron, and Neville, was creamed. Harry had personally taught the three of them dueling techniques, and Hermione surpassed even Harry's skill. Draco cast the first spell, a tickling curse, and Hermione lazily waved her wand and said, 'Protego', cancelling the curse and answering with her own, 'Expelliarmus.' As Malfoy was about to cast his next. His wand flew out of his hand and Hermione caught it with a small, calm grin on her face. All in all, the match took about three seconds. It seems that Harry's classes were doing some good.

Harry spoke in a calm and honest tone, "Wow. It seems that ancestry isn't everything, Malfoy." They gave back his wand and left Malfoy without allowing a retort from him. Slytherin did their practice, of course, they still had a year of Quidditch to get through, but Malfoy looked a little in need of motivation throughout the day. Harry went to the Whomping Willow and tried to bond with it. Surprisingly, it was slow-going. By the end of the hour, Harry had a strong enough bond with it to tell it to give him a wide and strong stick. Although the sticks all bent fairly easily when connected to the whole tree, they grew very straight, rigid, and durable when they fell off of the tree, making perfect wood for a new wand. Harry put it in a plastic bag labeled, "Whomping Willow Wood."

-oOoOo-

A few months later, on Halloween, Harry and Luna were sitting and eating together when Harry began hearing a rather disturbing whispering sound.

" _...Kill…."_ This made Harry listen, but it slowly faded away. He got up and ran out of the common room. _"...rip…..tear….kill…."._ How strange it sounded. It was coming from his left. He began running and heard Luna say,

"Harry? Where are you going, Harry?"

"Something's going to kill! I hear it!"

"Hear what?" She said, following him. They were racing along several corridors, getting lower in the building, following the direction of the voice Harry heard.

"A voice it's-"

 _"...Kill!...Kill!..."_ He was getting close now. Just around another corner or two. Seconds passed by and he ran into water. Something banged in the distance. Harry ran, followed by Luna, into the hallway. At first it looked empty, then Harry recognized Filches cat hanging by its tail on a torch bracket. Above it were words written in blood.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN

OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

"Oh," said Luna. "I wonder why there's water on the ground." She began wandering off, following the water. In the distance, Harry could hear a crowd coming from both directions in the hallway. The Halloween feast has just been finished, and now there was no way they were getting out. At least, there was no way Harry was getting out. When Harry tried to look back at Luna to ask her a question, she was gone.

"Luna?" That's when Harry saw a door. He went in and found a girl's bathroom, which was flooded with water, and found Luna. "Why did you go in here?"

"The water came from here, Harry."

"Did it? How do you know?"

"It's where the trail ends. It goes right into this bathroom."

"Hmm. What is the chamber of secrets, anyway?"

"A chamber that no one knows where the entrance is and only the heir of Salazar Slytherin can open."

"Ok, what do we know of that only Slytherin could do that his sons and daughters could do as well?"

"Well, he could speak parseltongue."

"And so can I."

"Yes."

"Am I the heir of Salazar Slytherin?"

"Probably. Who knows? But I know that there is at least one other heir in the school." Then they heard through the door.

"Enemies of the heir, beware? You're next Mudblood!" It was Malfoy's voice

Harry stormed out of the bathroom, Luna following. "I thought I told you not to-!"

"Eat slugs!" Ron yelled, pointing his wand at Malfoy. The broken wand blew the spell backward, sending him sprawling on the floor. Only a few people paid attention to Ron, the rest of them looking at Harry in fear. Filch blew a gasket about Harry killing his cat, and Dumbledore demanded 'SILENCE!' telling Harry and Luna to follow him to his office. Lockhart, McGonagall, Snape, and Filch came (he brought his cat) as well. When they got to his office, Dumbledore began,

"Do not talk unless I address you. Harry. Talk and tell me everything no matter how strange."

"I was eating with Luna in our common room and heard a strange voice saying 'kill'. I, being the tactical genius that I am, started running toward the sound. I followed it to that hallway with Filches cat and the writing on the wall. Luna noticed that there was water on the floor. She followed it to the girl's bathroom and I followed her. Then I heard that Malfoy called Hermione a Mudblood, saying that she was next. I stormed outside, telling him not to. You know the rest."

Dumbledore looked to Luna, "Anything else to add?"

"Yes, only that the water seemed to come from the sinks, but the bowls of the sinks were dry. Harry asked about the chamber, and I said that it was a place that only an heir of Slytherin could enter. He asked me if those in the Slytherin line demonstrated an ability that only they had, and I said parseltongue. Judging from this information, I would say that only those capable of speaking parseltongue could ever enter the chamber of secrets."

Everyone in the room except Filch seemed intrigued by this. "My cat is dead. I want to see some _punishment!"_

Dumbledore interrupted, "Not dead, Filch; only petrified. At a very fortunate time, as well. Madam Sprout has a very healthy growth of mandrakes that, when they mature, will be used in a potion that Snape will brew to restore Mrs. Norris."

At this point, Filch seemed to be so happy that he was going to get his only friend in the world back from what he had thought was death that he completely forgot that he was angry at Harry for the whole episode. Harry felt very sorry for him, thinking that he wanted to give him something to make his life easier.

"Mr. Filch, do you care about that cat?" He looked angrily at Harry

"Of course I do, and you know that you would-be murderer!"

"What if I told you that I can give you two the ability to communicate to each other and feel each other's feelings? Not only that, but I can ensure you that the cat will only ever die of natural causes when you die if you accept this bond."

Filches anger seemed to falter at this point, "You would do that for me?" He said, seemingly astonished that anyone would even think of helping him.

"Of course I would! Why, I wonder, has no one done it yet?!...We could do it right now if you want, but you may find that Mrs. Norris has no thoughts or feelings right now."

"Yes, do it now, Harry." Filch said, seemingly worried that Harry would forget and never do it.

"Very well, just don't flip out if you sense nothing yet. Now, set Mrs. Norris on the table….yes, good. Now come here and wait for me." Then Harry put the tip of one of his fingers on the cat's head, delving into her mind. All activity had stopped. Everything seemed suspended. Harry delved into the visual portion, and saw a big set of yellow, slitted eyes over a shimmering surface. Harry was immediately forced back into his own mind and he felt a shiver run through him and an extreme pain behind his eyes for only a second, but it was so painful that it forced him to the floor in agony.

Dumbledore and Luna asked immediately, "What was it, Harry?"

"I saw these eyes, and then pain." He grunted. Regaining his balance and tone, he said, "I don't think it's a good idea for you two to bond just yet, Filch, but I can assure you that your cat is definitely alive and none of her brain has been damaged."

Filch seemed ready to hug Harry, but restrained himself. They were dismissed by Dumbledore, who said that he needed time to think about this. Luna and Harry went back to their common room and resumed eating. Eventually they went asleep on the big couch together, something that they had made a habit of and didn't want to stop.

-oOoOo-

Eventually, another full moon came. Harry had been growing weaker and paler for a while. Even some hair fell out, though that could just be stress. People had been looking at him strangely and he had been acting strangely. The people making the food found out some way to give him bloodier meat, though it was a different kind of meat. It didn't have any of that juicy fat that he so loved, but it was the tenderest meat he had ever tasted. He had to give his thanks to whoever cooked, but didn't know where to look.

Luna took this opportunity to strengthen their bond. She helped Harry through not only the physical difficulties, but also the piercing questions and snide comments, to which Harry was completely helpless. Harry couldn't imagine doing it without her.

Soon, the night of the full moon came and Harry had to leave Luna for the first time in awhile, something that depressed him a little. Wearing Augusta's dead husband's old cloak, Harry assumed his shadow form and flew to the Room of Requirement. When he got there, he paced across the entrance three times, thinking, _I need a secret place to be contained during the full moon._

The doors appeared and he entered quickly and quietly, not bothering to look behind him. The transformation came alarmingly quickly. And to think that, had Harry hesitated a mere two minutes at any time, he would be roaming the school, hunting humans. He needed to come earlier. Before him was a forest clearing. He looked around for a few moments, and then the change began.

His mind left him and things were just a blur for a while. Then, they came into focus on the last person Harry wanted to see in the room at any distance, let alone a few meters away.

'Luna, no.' the human part of his mind thought feebly. The werewolf part just caused him to growl. And pounce at her. In a few horrifying moments, the human part of him slowed the time in an attempt to stop the event from ever happening and watched as Luna calmly faced a werewolf that was likely going to kill her. Then, Harry felt a spike enter his mind and the werewolf was driven back, even as its jaws were about to tear out her throat.

And Harry, in wolf form, was in control of himself once again. That part of his mind that used to trouble him with aggressive instincts had died. The curse of mindlessness was gone. He was free to decide and the monster was dead and would never return. It was only later the next night that Harry found that he could change any time he wanted, since the wolf form was now of the human, and not the animal, mind.

That night, Luna and Harry were the best of friends, laughing (or barking) and even playing fetch (which was a strangely appealing activity to Harry, as it made Luna smile). Luna danced, radiating beauty, and Harry wished he could join her. They slept in that forest together, just a clearing of grass and flowers below and dazzling stars and moon above. They wondered at the room being able to do all this, and they enjoyed each other's presence, beauty, and, on the account of Harry, scent. Harry and Luna were happier and at peace than any other time they had ever remembered being, and each knew that it would be impossible for the other to forget it.

 **Alright, hit me with it. What did you think of that ending? Does it remind you of a romance novel you have read? Are there any tips you can give me? Any changes you wish were made? Any feelings you wish to express? Just comment. No restrictions. Just tell me how you feel about it.**


	8. Homorphus Charm, Modified Spell, Bludger

**AN: "Do you know who I am!? I'm the man who's going to burn your house down! With the lemons!" -Cave Johnson, Portal 2**

Classes were going well for Harry, except for the rumors that he was the heir of Salazar Slytherin. Yet again, Luna showed her loyalty, and so did the pictures that saw Harry running to the scene.

Many were curious about the Chamber of Secrets, and many people thought of asking, but many were too afraid to ask. In Transfiguration, Luna asked McGonagall the question that they had been dying to ask.

"Professor, what, exactly is the Chamber of Secrets?" The room became silent. Everyone abandoned their various attempts at transfiguration and focused entirely on the conversation taking place. McGonagall seemed to be stealing herself for what she was about to say.

"There are those among the faculty that do not wish me to tell you about the chamber. I, however, do not care. You need to know as it involves many of your lives. There are reliable historical documents that say this much. Hogwarts was founded, as you know by Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. The four lived in relative harmony for a while, but it is speculated that a bad experience with a Muggleborn caused Slytherin to become more selective with who he wished to teach magic. Slytherin, one day, began to only want to train pure magic families. The other three disagreed and, in a single argument with Gryffindor, Slytherin decided that he would forever leave the school. However, rumors spread rapidly among the students that Slytherin had, before leaving, built a secret chamber called the Chamber of Secrets. Its purpose was as follows.

"It has only been open twice so far, if you include the most recent event. Only the heir of Slytherin can open it. So far as we can tell, judging by the pattern of attack, the chamber contains a horror within that only the heir can control. This horror, if used according to the beliefs of Slytherin, will be used to kill off every single last Muggleborn in the school, and probably the squibs and non-purebloods as well." At this point, many were staring at Harry, even McGonagall looked somewhat curious, but Harry said,

"Well, that seems to exclude me then. I have a friend that's Muggleborn."

"But you can speak parseltongue, Harry." A random student asked,

"Yes, I could be the heir of Slytherin, but there's no way that I'm stupid enough to just go waltzing about and petrifying people while everyone knows that I could be the heir. Not only have that, but even the pictures of the school admitted that I was nowhere near the scene of the crime when it took place. Because of this, from the perspective of an unbiased observer, it is highly unlikely that I am the one who opened the Chamber, whether or not I'm an heir of Slytherin. That is, unless you call every painting in the school and Luna a liar, something that a very biased person would do."

"But it's still possible?"

"Of course it is. Someone could be walking about looking just like me, meanwhile the real me is off petrifying cats and Muggleborn, but considering that that is extremely unlikely, I highly doubt it. Especially since Luna would have to be in on it, too, because we share a bond that is complex enough to allow her to know exactly where I am at every moment of every day."

McGonagall interrupted this, saying "Well, hopefully everyone listened to that. Good, now back to the lesson…."

The class ended and some people said 'sorry.' when they passed him to leave. The next class that became interesting was Lockhart's. He was asked to give a demonstration of his defeat of a werewolf and called Harry up to be a werewolf. How coincidental.

"Professor, are you going to demonstrate on a human form? Or, can you let Luna cast a spell on me to have me appear a werewolf?"

"Whatever works, Harry."

The whole class looked curiously at Luna and Harry as they both went to the front of the classroom. Luna drew her wand and Harry just stood there, looking at Lockhart. Lockhart readied himself for whatever was about to happen and Luna provided the necessary wand movements for the complicated spell, yet didn't say the words, as if she was casting it silently. Harry then allowed his change to come. It was rather gruesome, actually. The students saw Harry grow larger than he once was, saw the teeth fall out of his mouth to be replaced by new ones, and the same with the nails. Fur covered his entire body and his brilliant green eyes drew the attention of anyone looking at him.

Harry detected a small flash of fear in Lockhart's eyes. He was hiding the fear with his face well, but not his smell, which told Harry that Lockhart was about *this* close to blasting Harry with the first deadly spell that came to mind. Lockhart knew that Luna only pretended magic at this point, as the teeth and nails wouldn't have fallen out and the change wouldn't be so slow. Lockhart said simply,

"Very realistic transformation, Luna, well done. Very real appearance as well. It's as if you really are a werewolf. Well, I don't think I need to enact this, as the purpose of this would only be to teach a practical lesson to the class. Now, what I did was pin him down on the ground and cast the highly complex Homorphus Charm, like so."

And when he said this, he made several complex movements with his wand and Harry felt something hit him in the chest, only it didn't do anything. Then, after doing nothing for about a second just to scare the students and the teacher, Harry obligingly transformed again. When he was done, several students appeared scared of him, but the teacher was calm. The room stank with fear. Harry felt a near-wolfish sense of humor in enjoying it. The class ended quickly and Lockhart stopped him on the way out, saying,

"Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood. Please join me in my office." Harry waited until everyone else was gone and then entered the office, followed by Luna. Lockhart, who had broken out a bottle of firewhiskey, asked them patiently,

"What exactly was that?"

Harry answered, "What do you mean?"

"I mean your blatant disregard of avoiding public attention. The fake magic thing with Luna was good, it actually came as a pleasant and scary surprise, but that thing you did at the very end…..How many people in that room do you think have seen that spell performed?! One? Two? Because if there was any at all, you can guarantee that there'll be at least a dozen people that now pay attention to what happens to you every month!...Now I recognize why you have that silver ring on, because it's obviously enchanted with a glimmer, but the stupid thing won't hide your paleness. Will you allow me to improve it for you?"

"Yes." Harry gave him the ring. When it came off, scars all over Harry's body showed. Lockhart flinched. Then, he briefly muttered at the ring while pointing his wand at it and gave it back. Harry put it back on and the scars went away again and he returned to his normal color as well. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I have a friend who goes through the same thing. He isn't as well known as most werewolves, but he is treated horribly by most that find out."

"I'm sorry."

"Yes, me, too. Anyway, stay safe, Harry. Good day to you."

"Good day professor."

-oOoOo-

A few days later, Harry was thinking about other things as he was doing work in his and Luna's common room. He wondered if he could use unarmed magic while in his wolf form. Taking a trip to the room of requirement, he opened the door with the thoughts; _I need to practice unaided magic in my wolf form._ It gave him a forest clearing and tons of bookshelves full of books along the entrance. Luna said,

"I was wondering, Harry, have you gotten into that book on Light Magic, yet."

"No." When he said this, a bookshelf appeared full of books on light magic. Another one appeared full of books on altering spells for different variations of its effects. Then, he felt something that wasn't human briefly poke his mind, and the room expanded very rapidly into a room that was about three times larger than the great hall. Luna commented

"Wow, I can't think of any reason as to why the room expanded to this size. Maybe your patronus is huge?"

"Perhaps." Said Harry, looking at the books in the bookshelves. One book, being the largest in the shelf (5,813 pages, written on extremely thin paper in extremely small ink), caught his eye, called The Most Complete Guide on _How to Alter Your Spell's Properties and Effects._ Harry picked the book up, as well as a magnifying glass on the same shelf, and turned to a random page to read. Despite being quite a few pages in, the title of the page said, _an introduction into altered spellcasting._

 _The basic theory of changing a spell is to use your imagination. The famous 'Expelliarmus' can be altered in many ways. In its most basic form, it simply knocks any object your opponent is carrying out of their hand and out of reach. However, with your imagination you can do that with their arms instead, or add a minor 'punch' to the spell, likely knocking your opponent over. The Patronus Charm is another famous example. Both its aided and unaided forms can be altered for various uses, simply by using your imagination. Let's say I cast a patronus. I can just have a regular patronus, or I can have two or three with that one spell. Also, if your patronus is corporeal, you can project it as a beam of light instead. (This doesn't repel a dementor, but it has been known to set people on fire in a way that is near-instantaneous and unblockable, causing an explosion of fire-less heat that set other objects on fire upon impact, and release all of the souls that a dementor has contained in them when the shock wave passes through them.) The same charm, when unaided, forms a shield around you, protecting you from almost all physical and magical harm, and can even send out waves similar to that sent out from a significantly powerful patronus, though they do not ward off dementors. However, with your imagination, you can use this same charm to make patronus copies of yourself or cast it in a beam of light as mentioned before._

 _Despite this, there are some charms that cannot be molded as easily with the mind. These spells are typically too specific anyway, such as 'Rictusempra' and 'Avada Kedavra.' Barely anyone has ever recorded testing the last one, as it always kills your target. However, there are reports that this spell can be altered to allow your target to 'briefly visit the other side', something that many want to do, but only a few want to risk. This modified spell is the only spell that has been known to change color when cast, the color in question is a blinding white. However, many who are hit by the modified spell frequently do not come back, and those that do usually enter a vegetative state in which, if they recover, they later report various uncomfortable experiences upon dying. Whether the varied results are caused by the target's choice to 'stay dead' has not been verified. In the few sources available for study on how to cast this spell, it is said that "Instead of feeling an overwhelming sense of murder, one must feel an extremely powerful form of love for the person. This love must not be accompanied by any other emotion except peace and joy, and must be rooted in complete understanding of the target." - Excerpt from 'A Journey to Death's Door - By Albus Dumbledore, Co-Authored by RoR.'_

 _This field, as it is based on your imagination, is comically vast and ever-changing. As a result, this book will only have known spell variations of the day this book was written (June 10, 1990), and even then will not contain all known spell variations, though will contain all of the spell variations of the spells that it lists. For proper use of this book, use the table of contents, which have been organized alphabetically by spell name and have been written in the book in the same order for research purposes._

"OK." Said Harry quietly, flipping to the table of contents.

"What is it?" Luna asked.

"This is a book on how to alter your spells. It has alterations on pretty much every spell we know and more. It said some interesting things on the Patronus Charm."

"Can you read it out loud?"

"Of course, Luna." Then, Harry found 'Patronus Charm' under 'Defensive magic that require emotion' and turned to the page, reading out loud,

 ** _The Patronus Charm_** _is an especially powerful charm that has many known variations. We will spare you the details of description, as that would make this book too long. The original spell is capable of forming an animal that represents one's greatest desire, or, if not powerful enough, only a mist_

 ** _Shield (wand only)_** _: is capable of protecting from dementors, physical injury, and spells. More difficult to sustain when hit with spells, physical objects, or dementor's aura. Is easier to sustain than full patronus, but harder to sustain than mist. Simply imagine a funnel-like shield coming from your wand to alter original spell._

 ** _Patronus Armor (Unaided only)_** _: Is capable of protecting from most forms of physical and magical harm. If powerful enough, can radiate waves of emotion or form a second layer of shielding in the form of a sphere around the caster, both of which cause the caster to also fly. Cannot repel dementors. In fact, they have been known to feed on it, especially if the caster is radiating waves of emotion._

 ** _Dementor Patronus (wand only):_** _Creates a black patronus in the form of a dementor. Dementor causes dementor aura, but cannot deliver dementor's kiss. Highly useful against Light Magic users. You are immune to its aura, but not the aura of other dementors. Feel an extreme emotional emptiness instead of happiness to alter spell._

 ** _Dementor Aura (unaided only):_** _siphons life energy from all life around caster, as well as all happiness. Caster doesn't gain any siphoned happiness, but does gain life energy in either the form of healing or energy. Feel an extreme emotional emptiness instead of happiness to alter spell._

 ** _Patronus Beam (less powerful for unaided):_** _Is incapable of repelling dementors or protecting from dementor aura, but is the only known spell capable of freeing souls from a dementor. Souls freed from a dementor can return to the body they belong to if the body is still intact, but will otherwise pass on from this realm. A wand strengthens the effects, acting as a projectile that explodes, radiates like patronus armor, causes severe structural damage, and sets anyone close enough on fire. The unaided version is simply a beam that burns anyone in its path. Simply imagine a beam of light coming out of your wand or hand when casting._

 ** _Feedback Patronus (wand only):_** _Form of patronus powerful enough to radiate emotions like patronus armor. The difference is, you now receive the effects of said emotion, causing the patronus to become exponentially more powerful. Has been said to disintegrate dementors and release the souls within them. To cast, simply feel a sense of joy intense enough to add on that effect, then imagine the effect taking place._

 ** _Patronus clone (unaided only):_** _Form of patronus armor that forms patronus clones of you. These patronuses are self-sustaining, self-actualizing, and sentient. They are capable of anything you are capable of, except for evil and dark magic. The only requirement to sustain these clones is to be alive. When these clones die, causes an explosion very similar to a Patronus Beam cast by a wand, but includes a beam of light that points upward. To stop clones from existing, imagine the clones becoming mist and then you absorbing them. To cast, imagine your patronus armor flowing off of you and becoming another you. Can do this a potentially infinite number of times. They have no affect on dementors but they do stop the dementor aura from spreading anywhere near them, offering protection to anyone relatively close to them._

"That could be useful," said Luna.

"Definitely. Want to try them out?"

"Yes." She said, starting first, whispering, "Expecto Patronum." Out of her wand came a patronus in the form of a werewolf.

"Is that me?" Harry asked.

"I believe so, Harry." She said, smiling at him. There was a sense of complete joy and love crossing into Harry's side of the bond from Luna's, which made it that much easier to cast his.

"Expecto Patronum." He whispered, and out of his wand burst an adult dragon. Norwegian Ridgeback, to be exact.

"I guess that explains why the room got so big." Luna said, smiling at him. They held hands and just watched the dragon and werewolf, and then Luna asked, "If our veela bond is more powerful than our mother's love bond with Norberta, then why do you have Norberta as a patronus?"

Harry simply waved his wand at the dragon and it condensed to take on Luna's gently smiling form. "Because it's not Norberta, it's you." Harry said. Despite not casting a feedback patronus, they both fed into each other's emotions, which increased the power of both of the patronuses before them. The werewolf and Luna patronuses sat together. The werewolf lay down in front of Luna, who gently stroked the werewolf's fur. Eventually, their patronuses got so powerful that it radiated their emotions back at them, creating a feedback loop of emotion that made both Harry and Luna feel emotions so powerful and so pure that to say that they were peace, love, and joy would barely scratch the surface of the true meaning and quality of their feelings. It took quite a few hours for them to stop this, and, at about 11PM, they went to bed, deciding to learn the patronus' variations sometime in the future.

-oOoOo-

Harry woke next to Luna on a day of a Quidditch match. They got up and got dressed. Harry showered as he always did in the morning because every month he had to shower in the morning after the full moon anyway. Breakfast was the usual bacon, eggs, hash browns, and, on Harry's account, the tenderist bloody meat he had ever tasted. They added some spices that made it taste amazing without overpowering the taste of blood. Harry's wolf, Asmund, had some bloody steak and Luna's boa constrictor, Cuddles, had nothing, as he had eaten several rats only yesterday and was still digesting, and was currently resting on the table, coiled up under the light. Luna and Harry shared deep bonds with the two of them. So much so that they swapped pets because Luna had a thing for wolves and Harry had a thing for snakes. At this point their bond was so thick that they were now capable of sharing certain magical talents, such as parseltongue, so Harry being able to speak parseltongue was no longer a reason to have a snake rather than a wolf, but they swapped anyway.

After finishing his meal, Harry asked, "Why do you think we eat in here instead of in the great hall, Luna?"

"Well it's obvious, isn't it? You're a werewolf, so you need bloody meat, something that they don't serve in the great hall, and if they did you would be the only one that would eat it, something that would tell everyone around you that you are not entirely human. I am a veela, something that everyone knows but still, the food that I need to properly function isn't served in the great hall, either, so I eat here. Not that I would part with you even if they did serve my food, of course."

"Hmm. Good point" and then Harry resumed eating

Luna laughed a little and said, "I think I have a perfect nickname for you."

"What is it?" Harry asked, ignoring his meat for a while

"Furry Potter." She said, laughing again. Harry laughed, too.

"Yeah, because wolves don't have hair, they have fur, and my original name is Harry."

"Yes." She said, her laugh slowly dying down. They returned to their food.

A few seconds later, Harry stopped eating and asked, "Hey, I wonder if I'm still a werewolf by definition?"

"Probably not. For one, we found out that you can use unaided magic while in wolf form. For another, you don't lose control of yourself when in wolf form. For another, you are able to transform at will, and the full moon only tempts you to transform. Also, since you've found out a way to transform instantly, you are probably closer to an animagus than a werewolf."

"Yes, but there's a spell that the ministry uses to detect werewolves."

"I know that charm. Should we try it out now?"

"Sure," said Harry.

Luna got out her wand and said, "Lychanus." Harry briefly glowed blue. "That's strange. It's supposed to turn you red according to wizarding law."

"Yep. Officially not a werewolf. Funny how that turns out. Do you think I could declare my condition now?"

"Whether or not you are a werewolf by law, many would still see you as one. I don't think we should risk it."

"Could we at least tell the teachers and our friends?"

"I think we could. Especially Lockhart, Snape, and Dumbledore, see what they have to say about it."

"Hmm. Perhaps we should hold a private meeting with only them?"

A picture above the fireplace of a Hogwarts Headmaster that used to be in Ravenclaw asked, "Would you like me to tell Dumbledore?"

Luna spoke up as Harry tucked into his meat. "Yes. Can you ask Dumbledore for a meeting between us and Lockhart, Snape, and him about Harry's Lycanthropy as soon as possible?"

"Of course, madam."

-oOoOo-

Harry and Luna had a meeting minutes later with Dumbledore, Lockhart, and Snape. Dumbledore spoke first in a calm and patient voice, "Alright, Harry, Luna, Why exactly are we here?"

Harry spoke first, "I am no longer a werewolf."

Snape asked, "How can that be possible?"

Harry looked at Luna awkwardly, looking for an answer, Luna said, "I discovered what caused Harry to lose his self-control in wolf-form and tore it out of his mind."

Lockhart interrupted, "How? Many people have already tried."

Luna answered, "I visited his hiding place on a full moon. For some reason-"

Snape cut in, "That could have gotten you killed!"

Luna spoke, "Yes, and it almost did, but it didn't. Anyway, for some reason the part of the disease that makes you lose control when you transform turned out to be caused by a highly inactive part of the brain, at least it is inactive when not transformed. When transformed, the normal parts of your brain that make up 'you' is isolated when in human form, just like the werewolf portion of the brain, so I just caught him while he was in wolf form and tore out the part of his mind that blocked the two portions from communicating. This allowed him to keep his powers and even allowed him to control when to use them, while not sacrificing the ability to control his actions when he is using them."

Dumbledore spoke to Harry, "What is the state of your transformations now?"

"I can control my actions and emotions. I can change on command. The change is more like an animagus transformation than a werewolf transformation. Full moons only tempt me to change. The werewolf identification charm identifies me with a blue glow rather than a red glow."

Lockhart spoke, "It seems you have cured Lycanthropy, Luna. You have no idea how many people are going to want you to see them on the full moon now."

"I'm glad to help, but it would be best for me to teach a few people within the werewolf community how to cure it instead of doing it myself. Unfortunately that means that I'll have to see a few young werewolves."

Lockhart spoke again, "Why do they have to be young?"

"Because….um, Harry?"

"Ah, yes. It's because she did it using an active form of Spirit magic that is almost indistinguishable from mind magic, except mind magic can only alter memory and spirit magic can alter everything about a person. Adults, for some reason, cannot use several different forms of Unaided Magic effectively, including Spirit Magic."

Lockhart said to Harry, "Well, usually you can't find werewolf children, but most werewolves are required to show up at meetings that occur one night before the full moon and then again at the same place at the full moon. But then there's the problem of the werewolves attacking you. Perhaps you could teach Harry the trick, Luna?"

Harry spoke, "Oh, I already know what she did. I can do it."

"How do you already know?"

"We can share thoughts and memories."

"Then why did you guys have to refer to each other?"

"Simply choosing to be polite." Harry said, Dumbledore smiled at this, saying,

"I'm glad the bond is coming on well."

"Us, too." They said in unison. Snape was reminded of the Weasley twins.

-oOoOo-

Harry attended his first Quidditch match of second year because his ring now allowed him to go into public near the full moon without looking suspicious. The combination of not cheering on the team and looking very sick almost every match would make a lot of people suspicious, but since he didn't look sick, they could just take his silence as introvertedness. After all, barely anyone saw Harry outside of classes nowadays. Things were going good. Harry had taken Cuddles with him to watch as well. Hey, everyone already knew that he could speak parseltongue, why not? Gryffindor was winning and everything. Harry wasn't cheering because he felt sick. Then a bludger came out of nowhere, hitting him on the head and cracking his skull. He remembered part of his vision turning red, and that terrible feeling of being pulled _down….down….down._ The last thing he remembered is about half a dozen screams in his mind when those that he was deeply bonded to realized that he was rapidly losing consciousness.

-oOoOo-

Harry felt like he was coming to the surface of a body of water, and was slowly gaining awareness again. The first thing he became aware of is the anxious mood of everyone in his mind, all of them waiting for him to wake. Moments later he sensed relief from them, but they stayed mysteriously quiet, as if he needed his privacy. At about the same time he was aware of a heavy, coiled weight on his chest. He opened his eyes to see what it was and was met instead with the frosty blue eyes of his most beloved.

"Luna." He said, and his head immediately exploded in pain, and the others in his mind felt it, too. The left side of his face didn't work right. Neither did his left arm. Or his left leg. Strange. Instead of saying it, he tried asking with his mind, _"What hap-OH!"_ His mind exploded in pain again, except worse. None of them answered. Not a single thought or feeling from any one of them. Then, Madam Pomfrey spoke to Harry from a distance,

"You've received a major blow to the head from a rogue bludger. It impacted your skull so hard that the skull fragments punctured your brain, damaging brain tissue. I can heal a broken skull in a second, but brain tissue is gonna be harder, more painful, and takes much longer. The damaged portions of your brain are on the right side and related to language and motor control, which means that trying to move your left side or communicating with language will cause a massive migraine. Though that may slightly speed up the process, the pain isn't worth it." Then she went away to treat another patient.

Luna spoke now, "Harry, squeeze my hand if you're ok." She said, holding Harry's right hand. He squeezed. "Squeeze my hand if you want me to stay with you." He squeezed, she seemed pleased. Luna sat down on a chair to the right of his bed and the thing on his chest moved into view as it slithered to rest on Luna's shoulders, revealing itself to be Cuddles. Luna resumed talking, "We have no idea who made the bludger attack you, which made Cuddles very defensive of you. As far as we knew, someone was trying to kill you. She wouldn't let anyone touch you. I had to carry you here myself, then I had to convince her that Madam Pomfrey wasn't trying to finish the job. Madam Pomfrey was a little surprised that I could speak parseltongue, too."

Harry simply laughed a little, which made his head twinge in pain. Madam Pomfrey came back with a potion of some pinkish grey potion that tasted like fat, so Harry drank it eagerly. Madam Pomfrey was surprised, saying, "Most people think it tastes terrible! You are a strange one, Harry Potter."

Luna responded with, "Yes, he is." in a far away voice that told Harry that she was thinking about all of the ways that he was strange. Harry laughed a little again and, surprisingly it only slightly hurt. He wondered why until he began drifting off into sleep. Just before he passed out he wondered if he had been given a sleeping draught.

-oOoOo-

Luna eventually put her hand in Harry's and fell asleep at the bed, Cuddles standing guard. Day turned to night and then Dobby the house elf apparated into the room with a 'SNAP!' which woke Luna, but not Harry, from rest.

"Hello," said Luna, slightly tired. Dobby looked at Harry, then asked,

"Why is Harry Potter, sir, still at school?"

"Because he's not dead. I doubt the Dursleys would allow him to come back early, even if he was dead. Why are you here? Who are you?"

"My name is Dobby. I'm here because something bad in the school is going to happen and Harry can't be here because he's in danger. Harry can't be at school."

"Wait….you caused this?" She asked in her usual, calm voice.

"Yes, Madam, I-"

"You came very close to killing him, do you know that?"

"Yes, I-"

"And do you know that if you do kill him, I die with him?"

"Yes, but-"

"Dobby, I need you to stop trying to save his life, because all you are going to do is kill him, and by extension me, and if Voldemort ever comes back, you will be responsible for every life that he takes that Harry and I could have saved had we been alive. I appreciate your concern, but we don't need you to interfere. In fact, we need you to not interfere. Do you understand?"

"But-"

"Dobby, if you say anything instead of 'OK' and stop trying to get Harry out of school, I will personally make sure you die." She said in her usual, spacey voice which, when combined with the death threat, sounded very sincere and even more threatening than it should have.

"He's going to kill Harry, Luna."

"Who?"

"I can't tell anyone the name." He said, making a big 'V' with his arms.

"Is it about the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I can't tell you." He said, while vigorously nodding his head, causing his ears to flap comically.

"Well, I'm sorry you can't tell me anything." She said, smiling and mouthing the words 'thank you'. Dobby disappeared with a 'Pop!' and then Luna settled down to sleep again. Right after she began to settle down, she heard a group of two quietly enter the room, then something really heavy was put on one of the beds. Dumbledore whispered,

"Get Madam Pomfrey, Minerva." Professor McGonagall hurried past Harry and Luna out of sight. Luna heard urgent voices, and then the professor swept back into sight with Madam Pomfrey, who was pulling on a cardigan over her nightgown. She gasped.

"What happened?" Pomfrey whispered.

"We don't know. Dumbledore found him this way, just outside. We think he was trying to sneak in to give Harry grapes." McGonagall said. Luna got up and crossed the room to them, seeing the three of them surrounding a bed with a petrified Colin Creevey, who happened to have a camera up to his face.

Dumbledore looked over with a slightly shocked expression, "What are you-?"

Madam Pomfrey interrupted, "Oh, she's here for Harry. You know, the bond and all, I figured arguing with her would be useless."

Luna spoke calmly, "The most curious elf showed up telling me that Voldemort is trying to use the monster within the chamber to kill Harry. Apparently, Colin was at the wrong place at the wrong time. However, I have a hunch on what the monster may be."

"Do tell us, Luna," said McGonagall.

"Something related to snakes. He's the only one we know of, except for me, that can speak parseltongue. At the time of the last attack, he heard a voice that only he could hear, and I couldn't because I couldn't speak parseltongue back then. Also, it has to be able to lay dormant for many years for obvious reasons."

Dumbledore said grimly, "Sounds like a basilisk. That isn't good. Why hasn't anyone died….Oh, because they didn't look directly into its eyes. It was the water with the cat and the camera with Colin. The camera…." Dumbledore took the camera from Colin's petrified hands and opened it, as if trying to get at a photo of it. When it opened, a puff of black, putrid smoke came out of it.

"It was worth a try" Said McGonagall.

Dumbledore said, "We need to find that chamber and kill that basilisk. I feel that the board might have us empty the school if it attacks again. I'll try to keep the press off of us, but I don't know how long that will last. Luna."

"Yes?"

"I need you to investigate the location of the chamber with Harry. The very moment you find it, you need to come and tell us, do you understand?"

"Why can't you search for it professor?"

"Because the board thinks that if a headmaster or teachers go looking for the chamber of secrets, then they must clearly be wasting time as well as insane, which gives them a really good reason to fire them. That's how I became headmaster. After the first death because of the chamber of secrets, the headmaster started looking for the chamber and got fired for it."

"Did Lucius Malfoy have anything to do with it?"

"Obviously."

"Good thing we ended up with you instead of some puppet, Dumbledore."

"Thank you, Luna. Now, we better get out before Harry wakes from the noise." And they left. Luna went back to Harry.

-oOoOo-

Harry recovered nicely and left with Luna and Cuddles in the morning. Word got out about a dueling club, so Harry and Luna went back to the Ravenclaw common room, taking Cuddles and Asmund. The announcement board had nearly empty signup sheets for said club and they both immediately signed up, staying there to catch up with Hermione afterwards. They noticed that a lot of people had signed up after Harry and Luna had signed up. They went back to their own common room and Harry enchanted Cuddles with several protective spells, planning on using her for the dueling club, which is happening after Christmas.

Harry and Luna, before dinner, began to get ready for the werewolf meeting, as it was happening that night. They heard a knock on the door, signaling their first visitor. Harry looked at Luna and asked,

"Would it be okay if I answered the door?"

"Yes." she said simply, Harry answered the door, finding Lockhart.

"Ah, Hello, Harry. Do you still want to come with me to the werewolf meeting?"

"Can I bring Luna?" Harry asked. Lockhart had a slightly pained expression, but said,

"Yes, can I come in?"

Harry glanced back at Luna, who nodded. Harry turned back and said, "Of course, Lockhart." He came in slowly and sat on the big couch and sniffed the air, saying,

"Luna, you smell like a werewolf."

Luna responded, "Well that could be as a result of my closeness to Harry all the time."

"Yes, that would do it. Anyway, you guys need to know some basic werewolf culture."

Harry interrupted, "I have already read Lupin's book on the subject, and have shared my knowledge and thoughts on the matter with Luna."

Lockhart looked a little deflated, as if he was just getting excited about something just to find out that it was all rather pointless. "Ok, well, there's another thing. I'm a werewolf." He said, taking off a ring to reveal several scars and an extremely sick complexion.

Harry, and Luna by extension, wasn't very surprised. He actually expected it, considering that he didn't have a veela/werewolf wife bonded to him and that he wasn't a veela himself and was still going to the meeting. That and the fact that he smelled werewolf on Luna "Wow. So that thing with the werewolf in the phone booth didn't work out too well as you wrote, did it?"

He half grinned, "No, that actually did go well, but the mother of that werewolf wanted revenge, so she placed herself right outside my window on another full moon a few years back, and I woke up with my arm all torn up and chewed on. Bleeding profusely. It wasn't a very good night for me. Had to kill the poor misguided lady." He seemed to grimace at this. "Anyway, any questions?"

"How do you think I should proceed curing the other werewolves?"

"Tell them about it and show off at what you can do in wolf form. Many of them, even Greyback, will be intrigued at the idea of being able to control their mind and their transformations. I bet he would love it. Then, the next day when the group meets again and they transform, just start curing as many as you can."

"And what if I challenge Greyback?" Harry said, knowing that he supports Voldemort.

"And why would you do that?"

"If he advocates for Voldemort, for one. If he tries supporting the idea of purposely infecting others for another."

"Well….be impressive about your control of it to him. Talk about the rush and the ability to avoid danger while wreaking havoc because you are no longer mindless. Talk about how he could now become a werewolf every day instead of once every twenty eight. Then, when he seems to hunger for it, make the price of such a gift that he and his pack must renounce all allegiances to Voldemort and must stop purposefully infecting other people."

"And how do I make him keep his promise?"

"Simple. A wizard's contract. All you have to do is hold your wand in the air and say 'I,' in this case, 'Fenrir Greyback do swear that I renounce all allegiances and loyalties with Voldemort and that I will no longer infect another being with Lycanthropy if they don't want to be.' The thing is, unlike an unbreakable bond where it kills you if you break it, you simply can't break this contract. Every time he will try to infect another or have positive relations with Voldemort or any of his followers, they will find it impossible to do. These contracts come in the form of signing parchments as well, one form of contract that Dumbledore used to keep the Room of Requirement secret so that you can hold lessons there."

"Impressive. Do you think I could do that in parchment form, then?"

"Yes, I believe so. It would probably be better. I think it would be best if signing the contract causes them to be knocked out in wolf form until they are cured, just to keep them docile until you can act."

"Sounds good. Can you get that to me now?"

"Of course." He said, pulling out a really long piece of parchment and writing some words on it, then muttering the words as he pointed his wand at it. "There you go. Make sure not to tear the parchment up or anything." He said, rolling up the big parchment into a scroll and giving it to Harry. "Another thing, Harry. You are an Alpha."

Luna broke in, "Why am I not surprised?"

Harry smiled at Luna, saying, "OK, Lockhart, tell me more about being an Alpha."

"Well, if you've already read Lupin's book, it's pretty exhaustive. As in, being 'Alpha Material' isn't too complicated. The only thing you truly need to worry about is the twisted reality of those around you. You are twelve now, only a pup to them, yet you are also Alpha Material, meaning that they feel that they need to respect you, despite being only twelve. Of course, you have grown quite a bit since being bitten and actually have the body of an athletic fifteen year old, but that's only going to throw some madness into the mix. They're really going to want you to challenge one of the current Alphas just to get you out of the way. They're going to do whatever they can to throw you off. They could challenge you to a few duels, wrestling matches, and if you don't keep Luna close, they'd probably try to damage the relationship in more ways than one."

Harry said, "I seem to be very good at dueling. Haven't tried wrestling, but it sounds fun. I've trained Luna well enough to be able to destroy a whole city if she so wished, so I'm not worried of someone harming her, and she knows to be careful about what she ingests. I'm absolutely loyal to Luna, no doubt about that, and she's loyal to me, which would have even less doubt if it were possible. Anything else we need to know about?"

"Yes. Be humble, say little, but don't tolerate insults. Especially if someone tries to call you an Omega. Physical violence is what is expected when Alpha Material is called an Omega, and if it isn't used then you are typically looked down on by those around you until you can redeem yourself."

"Well….I don't care much for public opinion, but I want them to listen to me. So, how much physical violence?"

"Just enough to make a point, Harry, I'm not asking you to kill anyone."

"Very well, when should we leave?"

Lockhart looked at his clock, raised his eyebrows, grabbed a bag he brought with him, and started walking through the door, "Um, right now, actually."

 **AN: Please comment! How's the story going? What do you think about certain things going on? Is there anything that I could change or improve? Is there anything you absolutely love or think it is intriguing? Say what you need to say! :)**

 **AN: I've made a new community with all of my favorite Harry Potter Fanfiction, do any of you want to join it and put their favorite ones down as well? If so, please tell me.**


	9. Werewolves, Draco, The Kiss

**AN: The living room is so encouraging. "I feel so alive in here!"**

 **"What are you doing in there, man?"**

 **"I'm livin', dude!"**

Harry, Luna, and Lockhart arrived at the meeting place by car. It was a massive clearing in the middle of a forest, complete with flowers. The forest was young, made of spruce and oak, and smelled of old leaves and sap. Harry and Luna didn't know where they were because they hadn't paid any attention to where they were going. Harry sensed that he was surrounded by life and was currently bonding too much of it. In the middle of the clearing there was a massive campfire. The entire place seemed to be divided into several sections where there were aged wooden lunch tables set up, even though it was after dinner and there was no food. There were many people there. They seemed to be the only person to take a car, though there were several motorcycles and quite a few brooms.

When they got out, Lockhart said, "Ok, are you guys familiar with the packs?"

Harry said, "Greyback has a pack made entirely of witches and wizards who are almost as fanatical about the transformation as he is. Crescent pack, lead by John Crescent, is made up of various stragglers that don't belong to any other packs, and is effectively the largest. Trent pack is made up of a Muggle biker gang, and Malkovich pack, lead by Jason Malkovich, is made up of upper-class second generation or higher werewolves."

Lockhart said, "Yes, but there are three others without names, and they operate like groups with a representative instead of an actual Alpha. One has stragglers like Crescent pack, but is only made of magical folk, one has only muggles, and another has a bunch of different very small packs put into one."

Harry asked, "How are the smaller packs made?"

"A tight-knit group of friends get together. That's it. They don't necessarily have an Alpha."

"Interesting. Any pack allegiances or rivalries I need to know about?"

"Trent pack and Greyback pack get along fine, while no one gets along with the Malkovich pack, and the Crescent pack gets along with pretty much everyone Except the Grayback and Trent packs. While the Greyback and Malkovich packs don't get along, they both agree that they should join Voldemort when he gets back, but that hasn't been in discussions lately. Nowadays we have very little discussion, except the distribution of certain resources and other things. Your announcement will likely be a very exciting one."

"What about the general attitude towards Lycanthropy? Which groups love it? Which hate it?"

"Well, most of them just hate it and want to hide it, but the Trent, Greyback, and Malkovich packs all favor it in their own way. Trent pack, surprisingly, is just a hardcore werewolf biker club that likes killing other clubs on the full moon. They cause the ministry a lot of trouble and are hardly ever caught because of how understaffed the ministry is nowadays. Greyback pack is similar, but they hunt openly and in devastating numbers, aiming to infect rather than kill, and specially target wizarding towns, as they believe that they will one day outnumber the non-werewolves and then life for them will improve. Malkovich pack is much better behaved, caging themselves in luxurious cellars or rooms and keep to themselves, as they believe that the gift of Lycanthropy should only be given to a chosen few. Crescent Pack cages themselves to keep each other from infecting people as well, but only because they believe that it truly is a curse. All of the nameless packs believe the same."

Luna spoke up, "Are there any who would be against our cure?"

"Probably Fenrir Greyback and his clan by extension. They prefer a pure, wild experience. Everyone else is likely going to welcome your cure with open arms."

A voice very familiar came from an area that Harry guessed was the Malkovich pack, "Harry, is that you!" Harry looked to see Augusta.

Harry ran over and said, "Yes. How are you doing, Augusta?"

"How am I doing? I'm doing great, thank you. I heard you were bonded to a veela now."

Luna got there and said, "Yes, he is."

"Well, lucky you! What have you done together?"

Harry spoke at this, "She discovered a way to allow werewolves to completely control their Lycanthropy, and almost died doing so."

"Really? Well, what are the properties of said control?"

"I can now change when I want, the change comes faster, Full Moons only tempt me to change, and I am in control when I have changed. Also, the werewolf detection charm makes me blue rather than red."

"Interesting. A lot of people are going to want to get that cure. How did you do it, Luna?"

"I ripped out the part of the mind that keeps the wolf you from joining with the human you. After that, the human and wolf became one. I can only do this during the full moon."

"Hmm. What do I have to do to get that cure?"

Harry said, "I'll tell you at the meeting."

Since dinner had already been eaten by everyone before coming here, they started the meeting immediately. Greyback appeared to be the leader of meetings, as he spoke first.

"Welcome to the werewolf pack meeting of Europe. The purpose of these meetings is to improve the current state of living for all werewolves in Europe. The crowd present tonight is only a small portion of all werewolves in Europe. Are there any members here tonight who wish to make any announcements on the current state of affairs that surround and affect us that we do not already know about?"

He paused for a few moments and the silence drew on. Then, Harry stepped forward and said, "I am Harry Potter, and I have discovered a way to give you complete control over your wolf forms."

"Ah, yes, Potter. How's the-" and he brushed his left collarbone when he said this. Harry saw a burn mark on his neck leading to his back.

"Fine, thanks," he said, feeling mixed emotions about it. Fenrir smiled with a mouth full of pointed teeth. "Anyway, do any of you have any questions?"

At this, Malkovich, a Russian-looking man wearing clothes and boots made of bear fur and leather, asked a question, "Yes, what you mean by 'complete control?' Can you give us a demonstration?"

Harry simply smiled, then changed into a two and a half meter tall killing machine with piercing green eyes and bright white fur. Harry could sense their awe. Settling down on all fours, Harry thought to the entire gathering, _"Is there anything you would like me to do?"_

Greyback looked at him with wonder and amazement, "Move" he said in a whisper. Harry obliged, running into the forest, disappearing, reappearing on the other side wreathed in flames, and stopping again at the center of the gathering, standing on his hind legs, and howling to the near-full moon above him. Luna's eyes were wide as can be and the smile on her face went to her eyes. Many were awed, impressed, talking, and wanted more.

Trent spoke this time, "What can we do to receive this gift?"

Harry transformed back into human form and said, "Easy. All you have to do is vow to never have positive relations with Voldemort or his cause. Also, you must pledge to never purposely infect another human until I have determined that this gift will be transferred with the Lycanthropy. In order to ensure you will keep your word, you must sign this parchment." And at this Harry held the large scroll in the air. "When you sign this, you will also be knocked out tomorrow at the full moon until I can give you the gift, which guarantees that you won't run away before you receive it. Who wants to sign now?"

This seemed to infuriate Greyback, "And how quickly will you find out if the gift is transferred?"

Harry thought quickly to Luna, _"Do you want to become a werewolf?"_

 _"Yes."_ She thought back, Harry felt a slight thrill run through her.

"By tomorrow's meeting. Considering the fact that the werewolf detection charm has changed, I would have to guess that the infection has changed as well, meaning that the gift might transfer with the disease. If this is true, then you won't have the second condition put on you for any amount of time." Harry said. Greyback and his pack seemed to settle a little. Malkovich seemed to not care about the contract, but everyone, including Malkovich and his pack, seemed to be restraining an inner excitement. A cure to their affliction had been found at last, and it even allows them to keep their werewolf form!

Needless to say, everyone except for a few signed it. These few were Greyback and thirty or so of his closest werewolf fanatics. He wasn't upset, however, saying in a deep, growling tone

"My closest and I don't want to risk it, Potter. Will you show early to tomorrow's meeting with the scroll? We wish to sign it if circumstances permit."

"Of course, Greyback. I planned on showing early anyway." Harry said, nodding and walking off, Luna holding his hand. To Luna, Harry thought, _"Considering how long it takes for the disease to take hold, I will have to bite you the moment we get to Hogwarts."_

 _"Very well, Harry. I can't wait until we can run together. Limitless under the stars."_

 _"We can explore the Forbidden Forest more together!"_

 _"Do you have anything in mind?"_

 _"They're very illusive, but I think there are intelligent wolves in there, rather than werewolves."_

 _"Interesting. When should we explore?"_

 _"Well, there's nothing happening Sunday."_

 _"Sunday. I like sundaes. I heard one time that it was illegal to have a sundae on Sunday somewhere. I don't know if I believe it. Do you, Harry?"_ By this time they were leaving in the car. Luna was looking out the window. Their hands were held loosely, hers on his.

 _"No, I don't, but I wouldn't be surprised if I was proven wrong. Those lawmakers are strange characters."_

 _"Harry, you know how you've been teaching me about Unaided Magic on your free time?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Well, Growth Magic seems pretty limited, as far as what you've taught me. There must be something other than heal and grow things."_

 _"There is. The new books Dumbledore gave me showed me how to modify a living thing, even create a new species, within reason. It takes time, and can be sped up with energy and blood, but it is worthwhile. Are you familiar with the Lotus Flower?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"That was created by ancient growth mages. It is one of the few flowers that can regulate its own temperature for this reason."_

 _"Interesting. I wonder if we could create a house by growing it out of a tree or something."_

 _"I bet we can. Do you want to?"_

 _"Yes. Where to you want to grow it?"_

 _"Perhaps the Hogwarts grounds? Forbidden Forest?"_

 _"No. Well, we need a big clearing, so maybe. I would rather plant the tree there myself than just borrow a tree. We will also need to plan out the house before we actually plant the tree."_

 _"Sounds good. When should we make it?"_ At this, Harry noticed the thinnest sliver of gold thread weave itself into the bond.

 _"We should begin the steps to making it now."_

 _"We should also visit the Room of Requirement for more information on it."_

 _"Agreed,"_ said Luna. After that, they faded back to their own thoughts, contemplating the night.

Harry, remembering that he would need to heal a magical wound, asked Lockhart, "Lockhart, do you have anything that can seal a werewolf bite?"

"Yes. I always carry a flask with me, Harry. Just in case."

"Sounds good. Let's get to Hogwarts."

-oOoOo-

Dumbledore was pacing in his study, a letter from Remus Lupin clutched in his hand. It explained to him that Harry and Luna had come up with a cure to Lycanthropy and described it. Dumbledore was impressed. He had already sent Lupin a letter telling him to not take the cure, though Lupin had signed the parchment. Still in the first half of second year, a werewolf barely four months, and had cured the worst symptoms of Lycanthropy. In first year and risked her life to get it. He was, as said before, impressed by both of them. As a bonus, the werewolves can no longer join Voldemort when he comes back, and will no longer infect others (unless the gift is passed with the curse, of course). Not only that, but Dumbledore's goal to make Love Harry's greatest ally and Voldemort's worst enemy. It was rather amusing, almost poetic, how something as beautiful as Love will be instrumental in Voldemort's destruction. And, hopefully, the rebirth of Tom Riddle.

And Dumbledore knew, even now, that he would have to die, possibly by Voldemort's hand. What a grand adventure that would be, he thought to himself, or would it? To see, or not to see. That is the question, isn't it? After all, if everything living will eventually end in death, and everything of the living will crumble to dust, where then shall we look for true significance? But, he was getting ahead of himself. He needed to focus on this year and the next. Remus would be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, to be sure, and wouldn't have the cure. That would hopefully give Harry an opening to bond with him by personally giving the cure to him after finding it out, giving him another layer of protection, should he need it. Other than that, Dumbledore hoped everything went well, trusting that Harry will know what to do when the time came.

-oOoOo-

Luna lay on her bed, pale and feverish. Harry was at her right side, holding her hot and sweaty hand, ignoring the uncomfortable sensations in favor of the beautiful ones. A scar made by Harry's massive teeth was now permanently imprinted upon her left shoulder, collarbone, and a very small portion of her chest. Lockhart had left a while ago and Luna had passed out, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts, which happened to be torturing him.

He was filled with worry. What if she doesn't get the gift? What if she is still shunned from society? Even if she does, What if the gift accidentally turns her brain to mush? At this, he feverishly searched her mind for damage and found none, and then he searched some more as his fear mounted again a few seconds later, coming up with the same result. Asmund, Thana, Fluffy, Cuddles, and Norberta were all trying to calm his mind by radiating their own calm feelings, which was strange, since 'calm' for Cuddles, Norberta, and Thana all hinted at having a full belly and resting in a cold den, and Asmund and Fluffy all hinted at dens as well, but it wasn't like a hibernation as it was with the other three. This combination of feelings ended up making him extremely drowsy, and within seconds he had passed out, slumping onto the bed.

By the time he woke up, Luna had already been awake. She was looking the same, but was smiling at him.

As Harry was trying to sluff the sleep off of his shoulders and rub it out of his eyes, Luna spoke

"You've been asleep for quite a while, Harry. About an hour and a half since I woke, and it's already morning time." And so it was. Harry looked across from her bed out the window to see a beautiful orange sunrise above the trees of the Forbidden Forest. Cuddles was coiled into a tight ball on Luna's chest, and Asmund was sleeping next to her on the spot Harry usually slept. Harry asked, worry flowing again,

"How do you feel? Have you experimented with the transformation yet?"

"Good and no. I figured I didn't need to if you could look into my mind now."

"How would I know if the gift was passed?"

"If you can't feel a barrier in my mind hiding something behind it."

"OK." Harry searched her mind slowly, hoping not to miss anything. It had changed since the bite. It was a little more passionate and wild, like his mind had been after bonding to Norberta. He couldn't find any barriers of any kind. "I can't find anything."

"Good. Looks like I won't need to get that cure." She said, smiling a little. "It also looks like Greyback and his pack members won't be following Voldemort if he comes back."

"When he comes back." Harry corrected.

"You really think he'll come back?"

"He tried once, and I was unable to destroy him that time, only his host. Dumbledore told me he'll try again and again until he does. I don't know how long I can hold him off. When I fail and he comes back, I have to stop as many people as possible from joining him. We can't have him back in power. So, I've decided to bond and form alliances and contracts with as many people as possible, especially the dangerous or powerful ones."

"Wow, so you're going to keep Voldemort from coming to power again by being nice to his followers?"

"Before he comes back, because we both know that when he does, his followers will go back to him in flocks."

"I agree. Do you suppose Dumbledore would dub this 'love?'

"Probably. It happens to be a thing of his."

Luna laughed a little at that. Eventually, extremely bloody meat, which Harry had identified as unbled pork loin, appeared on a platter next to the bed. Both Harry and Luna smelled it. Harry was able to control the now familiar flood of spit that came into his mouth every time he smelled blood, but Luna was unsuccessful, drooling on her blanket before realizing what was happening and re-taking control of her mouth. Her hunger was uncontrollable, however, and she almost immediately seized the meat from the plate and took a giant bite out of it, dripping a steady stream of blood onto the blanket as she ate. Harry could see that her teeth had changed into that of a wolf's and her eyes had as well. He tried to contact her with his mind, but found an impenetrable barrier there, though it was growing a little weaker each bite she swallowed.

It was quite scary to watch, actually. Not because Harry was scared of Luna (Watching her eat like a homicidal maniac was strangely adorable), but because he wondered if she knew what was happening to her and what she was doing as she ate. If she didn't, then he probably didn't either, which means that she probably sees him like this three times a day. Setting aside that Harry felt a little embarrassed, he felt curious as well, asking himself, _"Is that why the nurse at St. Mungo's was so scared? Did she come in and see me eating like this without my knowledge?"_

Now Harry was sure that they were going to be shunned and that he would be kicked out of his Aunt and Uncle's house again. All he had to do is eat in public or with his family once. What would Xenophilius think? Harry had a feeling that he would be furious. Then again, he was so eccentric he just might celebrate. Who knew?

Luna was almost done when she immediately began to slow down and her eyes and teeth returned to normal. That's when she noticed that she had dripped blood from the meat all over the white blanket on the bed. If Harry hadn't seen her eat, he would have thought she had been stabbed for how much blood there was.

"Did I just…?" She asked, looking slightly embarrassed.

"If you're asking me if you had just eaten that pork loin like a homicidal maniac, I would have to say yes. Your eyes and teeth also changed into wolf-like ones as well. It was strangely adorable to tell you the truth. Do I eat like that?"

"Yes. I didn't want to tell you because I thought you would be embarrassed, and I didn't want you to stop eating like that either."

"Well, I'm more worried than embarrassed. How will my Aunt and Uncle react? How will your father react?"

"Your Aunt and Uncle will likely flip the hell out, assuming they would be strange enough to give you bloody meat. My father could go either way. While he's protective of me, he is still open to welcoming strange and potentially dangerous things as gifts. I don't know if he'll be able to get around the eating thing without a scratch, but he'll understand eventually."

They finished cleaning the blanket, got dressed (Luna in a white with gold trim cloak and Harry in a black cloak with silver trim) and went into the common room. There they saw Dumbledore and Lockhart talking in low voices, seemingly anxious. Asmund and Cuddles moved to the common room and lay next to each other. Dumbledore noticed them first and stood, Lockhart doing the same. Dumbledore talked first,

"Harry, Luna, why didn't you consult me before doing this? I could have told you if the gift Lockhart has described to me was going to be passed on with the bite. I am very familiar with these things, you know."

Luna spoke now, "Yes, we know, but it doesn't matter. The reason why we tested it ourselves is because I wanted to become a werewolf with Harry, and if the gift wasn't passed on through the bite, it would be given to me tonight, at the full moon." Dumbledore seemed to approve of this explanation.

Harry changed the subject, "Dumbledore, I think living at my Aunt and Uncles is going to be a problem now."

"Why, Harry?" Said he, looking very concerned.

"Because of how I eat meat. I had no idea until today how violent I look when I eat. They'd probably kick me out of the house again."

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes that is problematic. Hmmm. We will have to put whatever home you live in under the most extreme protections, including the Fidelius charm with me as the secret keeper. We could have you live on the Hogwarts grounds, perhaps? Or, maybe at Neville's? I don't know, Harry. I'm sure we could make special arrangements for you, and we've got a whole year to do it, so don't worry. Although, we will need to tell your Aunt and Uncle that you won't be coming home. We can do that when Christmas is about to end. Speaking of which, what are you two doing for Christmas?"

Luna spoke, "Harry has already asked to come to my house for Christmas. We were also wondering if Norberta could come, too."

"Well, of course she can come; she just needs to stay at a high altitude until she gets there. She has been rated with near-human intelligence, after all, so she is allowed to do whatever she wants as long as it doesn't break the law."

Then Lockhart asked, "Back to our original topic, did the gift get passed to her, Harry?"

"Yes. There is no separation between wolf and human in her."

This seemed to make them relax, and Lockhart removed the second condition from the contract. They talked a little more on the matter and Dumbledore eventually left with Lockhart, both of them realizing that they had a meeting. Luna and Harry went down to the Forbidden Forest together to visit Norberta. Harry went to the werewolf's gathering later that night. He showed up quite early in order to let more people sign, and apparently many more people than Greyback and his folks had heard of it from friends. Many of them signed the parchment thinking 'Ha! Positive relations with Voldemort or any of his followers? Everyone's doing that anyway since he's dead! This is a steal!' but Harry knew differently. He was also glad to see that the amount of people that showed up was about three times as large as the original. He cured everyone there and was glad that the parchment made the others pass out, since he would have lost most of them as they ran off to hunt various things.

Later that month, the Christmas break came, and while Harry would have normally been staying at Hogwarts, sleeping under Norberta's wing, and spending many nights under the stars of her clearing, he was now heading back to whatever home Luna lived in. He hoped that it had wide open spaces and maybe some water and some complex plant life he could mess with, but he would rather be surprised than ask Luna. He considered riding Norberta to get there, but felt that he wanted to stay with Luna and knew that Norberta was barely strong enough to carry one at high altitude, let alone two, so he took the train.

When riding the train, Norberta paid a surprise visit with a joyous 'ROOAAR!' that battered the eardrums and struck fear into the hearts of everyone except Harry and Luna, who happened to be sitting next to Neville, Hermione, and Ron, all three of which covered their ears and looked out the window in panic. Luna spoke first,

"Do not be afraid. It is only a dragon, come to say hello."

Ron was to speak next, "Don't be afraid, it's only a dragon? That makes a lot of sense!" he said as Norberta 'ROOAAAAR!'ed again, making the windows vibrate. A shadow passed over their car and then was gone, replaced by Norberta herself, flying twenty or so feet above the ground. To most who weren't bonded to Harry and some who were, she must have looked like their doom, but to those in Harry's compartment, even Ron, she looked amazing and elegant, floating on the wind. Each one of her scales, though brown, reflected light like a jewel.

"Hello, little one." She said lovingly. Harry could barely make out her slitted left eye gazing at him from the distance. And with that she ascended, disappearing from view, taking with her the longing that they all felt in that compartment. An expansive longing to fly and be free, almost like a homesickness or obsession that made those who felt it feel as if there will never be sadness in the world ever again. An awestruck voice that sounded behind the five of them stated what they felt deep in their hearts in its most basic terms.

"Damn. I've gotta get a dragon." They looked behind them to see Draco Malfoy, who happened to have his guard down and his social mask off. For the first time ever, Harry saw the true Draco. The mask haphazardly came back on, but took a form Harry wasn't expecting. "Um, Harry? Do you guys mind if I join you?" Harry sensed a bond growing between them faster than most. He seemed, despite being a Slytherin member, truly wanting to join them for honest reasons. His buddies weren't there and he was acting differently. Perhaps this Slytherin wasn't meant to be in Slytherin, and was only there because his friends were, like Hermione going to Ravenclaw rather than Gryffindor. Despite this, Harry was still cautious, mentally asking Luna if it was OK. She practically told him to allow Draco into their group.

"Sounds good, Draco." He sat down awkwardly. There was a small silence between the six of them, not counting Asmund and Cuddles, who were also there, Cuddles resting on Harry's shoulder and arm, which was resting on the window seal in turn, and Asmund lying down, head on Luna's leg. Harry asked a question they were all wondering, "Why exactly do you want to hang out with us instead of your other friends?"

Draco looked into the distance for a second, thinking. Then he said, "I don't feel like myself around them, and I feel like I can be myself around you. Is that ridiculous?"

"No, it's actually the first sensible thing I've heard you say." Harry said. "Welcome, Draco. Do you want to learn what no other Slytherins know?"

"What would that be?"

"Unaided Magic."

His eyes widened, "Do you mean that magic that doesn't require a wand to use? People all around the school have been using it to do incredible things. Are the rumors true? Have you been teaching them?"

"Yes, but I exclude Slytherins because this magic has a great potential to harm. Unlike magic with a wand, Unaided Magic isn't limited to want movements and words. This type of magic is limited by your imagination, physical energy, and willingness to practice, all of which are readily available to most people. If I give you this gift, you must promise to never use it with evil intention."

"I promise. When do I begin learning?"

"You can practice with me every Sunday starting at 8 in the morning. Meet me at my common room at first. We can learn their for starters, then we will take things into the Room of Requirement for the more dangerous lessons."

"Where's that?"

Harry laughed a little at this, "In due time, Draco. In due time….In the meantime; do you want to hold Cuddles?"

At this, Draco looked slightly scared. "Um…"

"Don't worry; as long as you don't try to hurt her she won't hurt you."

"You don't think this is a little too fast?"

"What? Like I'm going to waste time dancing around, waiting for a sign that you are worthy of holding Cuddles? Draco, if you aren't deadly afraid of snakes, then you can hold her if you want, and she is OK with you holding her."

"How can you know that?"

"Spirit Magic, a form of Unaided Magic, allowed me to form a magical bond with her that lets us communicate using thoughts and feelings. I will teach you some basic concepts of Unaided Magic, of course, but other than that you will ultimately decide what kind of magic appeals to you the most and we will study it deeply, rather than have a superficial understanding of all branches of Unaided Magic."

"Wait, have they specialized as well?"

"Yes. Hermione favors the Fire and Energy Magics, preferring to deal precise explosive damage to an enemy, or provide distractions. Ron Favors Fire and mixes it with wind to stoke and carry his flames, and uses this to form an inferno that only I have ever matched, and with great difficulty. Neville favors the Growth and Soul Magics, preferring to take a less combative approach to Unaided Magic and focuses more on the beauty of life, but can also use the Shadow, Energy, and Water Magics with frightening skill in combat. Luna is highly talented in all forms of Unaided Magic as I have taught her through sharing our minds, but she seems particularly skilled in Light Magic. I myself deeply enjoy studying all forms of Unaided Magic and have invested most of my free time studying it, but over time I've naturally gravitated to Light Magic and Soul Magic, preferring their extreme potential to eliminate evil in every crevice of the mind, as well as show us the most beautiful parts of ourselves. You will learn to love your own type of Unaided Magic for your own reasons and you won't be able to use all of the types very effectively or even at all in most cases. What types of magic you can use well depends on your various passions. Do you have any passions?"

"Well, that dragon was amazing."

"Did you fear it?"

"Sort of. But, I wasn't really afraid of it, just awestruck. I felt like….I don't know. I've never felt like that before."

"I understand, Draco. I feel that way, too. So, you have great potential for Soul Magic. If you were to imagine something amazing about a dragon, what would happen?"

"It would likely be attacking something or flying."

"Potential for wind. How is the dragon attacking?"

"Ambush from above, taken by surprise."

"Yes. I sense a heavy focus of Spirit and Wind. If you study hard enough, you could be able to fly. It seems that your passions are based around dragons, which is understandable. I'll try to train you up on Spirit Magic so that you can eventually form a powerful bond with a hatching dragon, which is the only true bond you can form with them without a lot of training, especially with the aggressive ones, which are the type that someone like you will want. The only problem that I can see in this is getting a dragon egg from an aggressive dragon, but I'll make it work."

"You will?"

"Yes. It's not every day you run into someone with a passion for dragons to match your own. Most people just run screaming in the other direction, but people like me, and possibly you, stand awestruck in its giant shadow, afraid yet not afraid, away from home when we lay awake on our bed, feeling homesick for something that is not a place, but a living thing. Poetic, don't you think?"

"Yes." Draco said simply, staring off into space wearing a vacant expression. Harry had obviously aroused his inner passions, and he left him to his thoughts. Harry stared out the window and smiled. He knew Draco would work hard on Spirit Magic to get a dragon.

-oOoOo-

They eventually got to the station and left the compartment. Draco finally came out of his stupor after hours of thinking just to say, "I'm holding you to it, Harry." and walk off to his father, Lucius, who looked curiously at Harry before taking Draco home. Neville was greeted by Augusta, who also welcomed Harry to come home, and Harry explained that he would be going with Luna, and that he would explain everything else later. Ron was welcomed by his family and Hermione was welcomed by her's. They all said 'hi' to Harry but not Luna, as none of them knew Luna. They eventually met Xenophilius, who put his left fist over the center of his chest and bowed without taking his eyes off them. Harry quickly adapted to this new gesture, doing the same in return. Luna, however, bowed with an open right hand. Xenophilius smiled at Harry,

"I didn't know you knew our family traditions."

"I don't, I simply copied you."

"Oh, well, the closed hand means you are male, using the left hand means you are giving. The open hand means you are female and the right hand means you are taking. The giving and taking of the relationship is usually in the form of a statement of love, such as, 'I wish to give you great joy through my love.' and 'I appreciate and accept the joy you give and the love you have for me.'"

"Interesting. Shall we get home, then? Norberta is coming and she will want to land soon."

"Amazing. I've never had a dragon at the house. I wonder what she's like."

-oOoOo-

Luna's home was, to say the least, strange. It looked like a giant black rook. Outside there were all sorts of plants he had never heard of. Inside was even stranger. The rooms were round. It looked mostly clean. The first floor was perfectly circular and all of the furniture and appliances were curved. It seemed to be a kitchen and dining room. The second room was also perfectly circular and seemed to be a mixed living room and work space. Copies of a funny magazine called the _Quibbler_ were being popped out of a printing press. Above that on the third floor seemed to be a living space for two. Luna's room was connected to Xenophilius room by a door that opened both ways. Luna's room was strange. It had old, flowery wall paper and a blue carpet. There was one picture in the whole room and it was beside Luna's bed. It was a picture of a younger-looking Luna and an older woman that looked a lot like her, Harry guessed that it was her mom before she died. He felt a stab of emotional pain for Luna, who appreciated his empathy, though she didn't reciprocate the pain, returning a peace instead. Apparently she was past it, and Harry was glad.

There was a big river surrounded by trees not far off from the house. It provided decent hunting grounds, but they weren't interested in that. The Room of Requirement wasn't able to provide life, so they had to use the Forbidden Forest to practice forming bonds with unfamiliar life, something that the two of them enjoyed greatly. At the river, Harry was able to bond with waterborne life for the first time. Luna and Harry sat side by side, her hand on top of his, which he was using to hold himself up. They just sat there and stared at the water, feeling the life around them with their minds, when Luna spoke up.

"Harry?"

"Yes?"

"You know those things you said that you frequently imagine when we bonded?"

"Does it have anything to do with us?"

"Yes."

"Then you must be talking about marriage, raising a family, and telling my spouse about my darkest secrets. Yes, I do know those things. Why do you ask?"

"Do you plan on living with me forever?"

"Whatever it takes. Despite the common phrase, I can imagine life without you. It just sucks a lot."

Luna laughed a little at this. Her veela aura was positively glowing, and had Harry been paying attention to her instead of the water, he may have been uncontrollably blushing and incapable of thinking of anything for the first time in his life. He did, however, feel Luna going through this and was slightly curious. He wondered why Luna's thoughts have stopped and why her mind was….fuzzy, Harry guessed was the term, and very nervous, though it was a strange sort of nervous that Harry had never felt, more like a barely controlled excitement, except it was purely chemical and the only thing that screamed 'nervous' to Harry was her shying away from these feelings and trying to control herself. Harry was utterly bewildered as to why she felt these things, but he did see one thing that made sense to him. More golden threads wove itself into the bond.

Luna spoke again, "Do you want to be my Husband?" She asked. Harry had to think about this.

"Luna, I do want to, but, considering that neither of us is capable of financially supporting each other and neither of us are even eighteen yet, I doubt that it would be a good idea to make it official. However, considering our current circumstances, I could ask you why you don't already think we are married, and I would if I didn't know better." said Harry slyly, smiling brilliantly at Luna. Luna smiled back and then several more golden threads wove themselves into the bond.

"You think we are married?"

"I know we are. There is nothing but death that can part us, Luna, and perhaps even that won't work." As he said this, the threads of their bond that were once blue now turned to gold. As if by instinct, Luna leaned towards Harry and Harry towards Luna, and, for the first time in both of their lives, they kissed.

By normal kissing standards, it wasn't exactly worthy of being called 'one of the best kisses ever', but the gentle, passionate nature of the kiss, the fact that it was their first kiss, and the feedback of emotion they felt over their bond made the lighthearted, floating afterglow of the kiss lasted in their memory until the day they died.

The kiss lasted about thirty seconds in which an outsider could have seen both of their faces turn a bright shade of red as each person's lips and tongue gently caressed and explored the others. What stopped that kiss from lasting longer was a 'ROOAAAAARRR!', then the eventual giant shadow covering everything in sight and the loud sound of a dragon impacting the ground beside them. This didn't frighten or even surprise them, however, only brought them back to Earth from that beautiful, isolated world suspended in time they felt they were in only moments before.

"Hello, Norberta." Harry said, staring, unfocused, at the sky as the red in his face got redder. Luna got up to hug Norberta, and then said,

"Harry, I just realized. We need to tell my father about my being a werewolf."

Harry hesitated a little, still trying to get himself out of the haze that had settled around his mind. "Yes, that would be wise. I can't wait to see how he reacts. Tell me, Luna. Have you ever slept under the wing of a dragon on a winter's night?"

"Um...no." Luna said, still hugging Norberta. "That was a funny way to say that."

"Do you want to with me?"

"Yes, but we need to tell my father first." She said, walking off to the house. Harry followed her after hugging Norberta. They were walking towards the house to see Xenophilius running out of it towards them. It took a while, but they finally met in the middle and Xenophilius didn't even acknowledge their presence, just ran on past with a happy grin on his face, then, when he had passed them for a few seconds he said,

"Hey, I just want to see your dragon." Harry and Luna quietly caught up to and ran beside him. Harry told Norberta that Xenophilius was coming to meet her and Norberta seemed happy to see him when he got there. She lowered her head to him and he stroked her snout and neck. Harry decided to take advantage of his good mood to tell him about Luna being a werewolf.

"Want to hear something crazy?"

"Yes." Xenophilius said calmly, smiling as he felt Norberta's scales.

"Well, Luna figured out a way to allow me to control my lycanthropy completely."

Xenophilius now lost interest in Norberta, only absently stroking her scales as he thought about what Harry just said. He asked Harry how this control presents itself and he showed him. Xenophilius was absolutely excited at this point, but only showed it by pacing back and forth in front of them. They could hear him whisper, "Amazing" very quietly to himself. They waited for a few seconds for his verbal reaction and all they got was, "Tell me more. Why do you think it necessary for me to know this?"

"Because after discovering the physical and mental changes lycanthropy brings when paired with the ability to control it completely, Luna wanted it."

"...and so you gave it to her?" He asked, growing pale for a second.

"Yes, as well as the ability to control it. Surprisingly the bite transmits both and all I had to do is to bite her." Harry said as Luna showed her Harry's bite marks on her shoulder. Xenophilius gasped.

"Did it hurt, Luna?" He said, coming closer to look at the scar.

"Yes, but it was a good pain." She replied calmly. Xenophilius turned towards Harry and left Luna to walk towards him now. Standing close to Harry, he said,

"At first I didn't know about you. You are so young; I didn't think you would be good enough for my Luna. I thought you would abandon her. But look now at how you treat her! You gifted her, before all others, with a free heart and a wild soul. And now look! You have accepted the bond wholeheartedly and turned it to gold! I thank you, Harry Potter, for being everything I wanted for her and more…..Now, I assume that her diet has drastically changed because she is a werewolf?"

"Yes, but I believe we can hunt for ourselves now." Luna and Harry said simultaneously. That came as a result of sustaining a deep mental connection during their conversation. They felt that they were one and acted as one, as only a very small amount of themselves was separate from the other at that moment. Xenophilius smiled widely at this.

"I see you two have been experimenting with your minds. What triggered this gold bond, anyway?"

Harry spoke now, "I think it happened because I admitted that I consider myself her husband." With that, the bond grew thicker. Xenophilius just smiled,

"Have you two begun to sleep together yet?"

They blushed and Luna said, "Yes, though nothing….like _that_ has happened yet. We're way too young." Again, Harry was utterly confused. Luna felt this and then asked after a pause, "Harry….have you had….that conversation yet?"

"Um….how should I know?"

"Do you know where babies come from?" Xenophilius asked, almost embarrassed for Harry that he had to ask this question. Harry, yet again, was confused,

"Well, I asked Petunia and Vernon, and even Dudley, but none of them would give me a straight answer." Luna blushed and laughed a little while Xenophilius' palm met his face in a classic expression of the sentence, 'An unforgivable crime has been committed against the human race.'

"Why is it that this responsibility has landed on my shoulders?" He said.

Harry asked, "Hey, can someone tell me what's going on here?"

Norberta joined in, _"If you live in the forest long enough and are observant, you figure out the entire deal early. Harry probably already knows what you're talking about on a subconscious level, but doesn't know the correct vocabulary. I don't know it either, but I have seen enough to guess."_ This is when Harry's face sort of 'lit up',

"Hey, I think I know what you're talking about." Xenophilius seemed overjoyed that he was relieved of having the almost physically-painful 'conversation' again. Harry tried to confirm what he was thinking in his mind with Luna. She blushed again and her thoughts fuzzed up once more, pushing Harry's mind away. He then said to Luna, "Yes, now I know what you guys are talking about, though I didn't know that it caused babies to be made. Now that I know this, I would like you to know that I have already decided that I don't want a child of mine to exist in a world that Voldemort is able to come back, as that would cause them to become as much a target as I am."

Xenophilius was almost rejoicing at this point, interrupting with, "Damn, I'm sure glad you are her Bondmate!"

Harry spoke again, "Now, back to the topic of sleeping together, I was wondering if she and I could sleep out here with Norberta, at least for tonight?"

Xenophilius asked him, "How will you stay warm?"

Norberta then thought directly to Xenophilius, _"The fire inside me will stay the cold."_

Xenophilius just shrugged, saying, "I don't see any problems with that."

Luna said, "Another thing, our eating can be a little….scary. The only thing we can digest now is meat, and when we smell blood we go into a feeding frenzy, which causes us to partially transform into our wolf forms to feed. When we do have our meals, it will be savage and messy."

Harry cut in, "Actually, I think we should just hunt and eat in wolf form while we're here for Christmas."

Luna said, "That works. Is that OK with you, father?"

"Yes, of course Luna."

 **AN: Please comment! How's the story going? What do you think about certain things going on? Is there anything that I could change or improve? Is there anything you absolutely love or think is intriguing? Blast me with it!**


	10. Christmas, Guard, Dueling Club

**AN: If you find yourself trapped by a machine and the only way to get out was to ask it a riddle it can't solve, ask this, Q: Why did the dog cross the road? A: Because it was chasing the chicken. The reason why no computer will ever be able to solve this is because they only function within the boundaries of the question. If you add in detail the machine didn't know before as a part of the answer, you win, even if it is obvious to you.**

Hunting is fun. Harry and Luna each caught a rabbit and ate it for dinner; all in wolf form….There's something about hunting in wolf form that creates a wild thrill. Anyway, after eating, they transformed into their human selves and Harry made the grass grow around the carcasses to decompose them. Luna spoke now,

"Since we're technically married, do you want to live here instead of at your Aunt and Uncle's house?"

"Definitely! I'm glad you asked….Hey, we could grow our house near here."

"A great idea. Where do you suppose we grow it?"

"Possibly on top of a hill next to the river or something."

"What tree do you suppose we make it out of?"

"A sequoia, but we'll have to make it wider than most sequoias, and then hollow it out or something."

"Couldn't we just have the tree grow us some rooms?"

"Yes, that would be easier. That and the tree is more likely to survive."

And so, they sent Dumbledore a letter about living there, and then they got to drawing plans for their new home, setting up a table in front of Luna's home. So far, they drew out a plan for a huge sequoia that you enter through a parting in the roots covered by moss, then you would have to fly upward into a circular entrance in the center of the main room. This main room would be like a living room/work quarters. They might make windows, but they would have to figure out a way to grow perfectly clear wood so that they don't just have a bunch of holes threatening the structural integrity of the thing. Or, better yet, they could make a new species of plant that creates light in dark places. Then a small flight of stairs would take them to their bedroom, which would have a structurally supported entrance large enough for an adult Norwegian Ridgeback to enter, as well as several layers of a growth at the bottom of this floor that mimics cloth so that they could have a bed to sleep on.

Half way into planning this, they heard a 'POP!'ing sound. Harry looked around to see Dumbledore and Professor Snape walking towards them. Harry and Luna got up to greet them, Luna spoke first,

"Why are you two here?"

Dumbledore answered, "I came here to put protections around your house and Severus came here to take Harry to his Aunt and Uncle's to communicate to them that he can no longer live in their house." Then he went to in front of the house and started casting wards. Severus said,

"Let's go, Harry." and held out his arm. Harry's stomach started churning in anticipation. One trip through a straw later, they arrived at Privet Drive. They walked side by side down the sidewalk past Mrs. Fig, who smiled at them as she passed. Snape nodded to her and they continued to number four of Privet Drive. Snape knocked noisily on the door and they heard Vernon yell,

"Coming!" Seconds and the sound of breaking glass later, they were greeted by a beet red and bearded face. Vernon had obviously been drinking some form of hard liquor like it was water, because he smelled of Vodka and couldn't hold himself upright correctly. It took a while for Vernon to recognize who was at the door. He recognized Harry first, saying in the moments before he recognized Snape, "Get away from this house you filthy little-" and then he recognized Snape, who was in full wizard's clothing. "Why the heck are you dressed like a weirdo?"

Snape ignored the question, saying, "Is Mrs. Dursley here at the moment?" It took a while for him to think, but Vernon finally had an answer.

"Ummmmmmm….No? Um….I mean, yes. PETUNIA!"

"Coming, dear!" She yelled from the living room. When she saw them, she said, "What are you two doing here on Christmas? Why are you dressed like that?" and then her eyes widened. "Are you one of _them_?!"

Snape casually drew his wand and spoke with a slow, low pitched, and nasally tone that hinted at impending doom, pronouncing every syllable. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, you are under arrest for the neglect and abuse of two children, one of them magical. As per paragraph three of the 'Regulation of Child Abuse Act' of 1977, you will be sent to Azkaban for a total of three days or more, depending upon the severity of the crimes you have committed. Neither of your children will be living with you any longer and neither of your children's locations will ever be disclosed to you. You will-"

Aunt Petunia may have been scared speechless, but that didn't stop Vernon from putting them in more danger, "What's this rubbish! You have no right to threaten me, sir, this is my house and I've done nothing wrong!"

Snape's wand flicked to him, paralyzing him and causing him to fall on his face, and before he even began to tilt forward, Petunia was paralyzed as well. Then he said in a tone that would have scared the cloak off a dementor, "I am afraid you are incorrect, Mr. Dursley." He then crouched to whisper in Vernon's ear, "You two have done _everything_ wrong." He then stood up and finished what he was saying before, "You will now be transported to a hearing concerning the charges brought against you, courtesy of the Ministry of Magic. At this hearing you will be interrogated through magical means. I have personally recommended the means with which you shall be interrogated. May it be the most painful experience you have ever felt or will ever feel. You do not have a right to remain silent. You do not have a right to an attorney. You do not have any rights to speak of….You will speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth without the aid of another whether you choose to or not." And with that, he pointed his wand at each of them and they were apparated somewhere else, probably the Ministry of Magic. Snape said, "I've always wanted to do that." Dudley saw the whole thing from behind them. He stood, gaping at the professor and Harry, not knowing how to react.

Harry spoke to Dudley, "Hello, Dudley."

"Um, Hi." He said, still stunned.

Snape spoke now, "Dudley Dursley, you will be tested for magical talent. If you are found to be magical, you will live with Harry. If you are not, you will live with the most suitable muggle guardians we can find that have no knowledge of Vernon or Petunia. Do you accept these terms?"

"Yes, and I am magical."

Snape looked surprised at this, "How can you know-?"

Suddenly, an owl flew in and landed on Snape's shoulder, a letter in its beak. Severus, unperturbed by this (unlike Dudley, who gasped in wonder), plucked the letter from its beak and read it. The front said,

 _Severus Snape_

 _Front Door Step_

 _4 Privet Drive_

 _Winging_

 _Surrey_

The inside had a small piece of parchment with only a few words written in haste on it.

 _Dear Professor Snape,_

 _We have recently detected magic in the Dursley's house. We don't know what type or by whom. Thought you ought to know. I hope the owl gets there fast enough._

 _In high regard,_

 _Mafalda Hopkirk_

 _Improper Use of Magic Office_

 _Ministry of Magic_

Harry read it beside him. After he was done, he said to Snape, "Wait, I thought Unaided Magic was supposed to be undetectable."

"We put wards around your home that allowed us to detect any form of magic being caused or activated inside."

Dudley spoke, "What does that letter say?"

Snape answered, "It says that magic was worked inside your home. Are you the one who did it?"

"I think so. I asked for plants for Christmas and they were given to me a month ago as an early Christmas present. I got a few vines and some flowers. Well, I was always amazed by how you made those trees at the park grow, Harry, so I tried to make the plants grow. Just a couple of minutes ago I was able to make a bud open, ever so slowly, when all of the other buds were shut."

Snape then changed his thought process, focusing instead on how the two reacted. "Hey, why is it that you two aren't completely freaking out about Vernon and Petunia?"

Dudley spoke first, "Well….they did deserve it, didn't they? With how they treated Harry all these years, I'm surprised you guys haven't done this sooner. Why haven't you done this sooner?"

"Simply because that would break a number of protections that relied on Harry calling this place home and being accepted here. Why didn't you react, Harry?"

"Dudley said it. They deserved what they got. Although, I was surprised. I thought you were coming here to tell them that I was joining some advanced program and would never see them again."

Snape got to the point. "Well, anyway, Dudley, do you want to come live with Harry?"

"Yes."

"Very well. You two hold onto my arms."

-oOoOo-

A quick trip to Luna's home and Dudley fell to the floor. Harry only stumbled. Luna and Dumbledore were both waiting. They were at a table talking about Luna's and Harry's plan to grow a house. When they arrived, Dumbledore stood, saying,

"Ah. I see Dudley is a wizard. I assume you did all that you came to do?"

Snape said, "Yes, Dumbledore. Everything went well."

"That's good. I suppose you should go on without me, Severus. Harry, Luna and I have a few matters to discuss." and to Dudley he said, "Do not worry, Dudley. Of all of the witches and wizards I have ever met, these are by far the strangest, and that is saying something. If you wish to be housed somewhere else, somewhere that suits you better, I believe we can make arrangements."

Dudley, who was looking around at the garden, house, and wide-open spaces with wide eyes, said, "No….I think I'll be fine right here, thank you."

"Indeed. Well, if you are sure; Luna, Harry, follow me." Dumbledore said, walking in the direction of the forest. Dudley explored the inside of the house with Xenophilius and Snape apparated away. Harry told Norberta that they were coming with Dumbledore. They were walking down a forest path Harry had built and then Dumbledore's Phoenix, Fawkes, swooped down and landed on his shoulder lightly. Harry saw a silver bond between them.

"Dumbledore….I thought you couldn't effectively use Unaided Magic."

"Well, Harry, it appears you were a little too hasty to assume we couldn't use it. The truth is, we just learn it much slower than most. As you know, we all already use Light Magic pretty well. However, because we learn everything else so slow, we must specialize early or we will never effectively use any of it. The only other kinds of Unaided Magic I can use are Soul Magic and Fire Magic, and I suspect I can use two because of my bond with Fawkes. Severus uses Shadow Magic. Sprout uses Growth Magic. Hagrid uses Soul Magic. McGonagall uses Energy Magic. Lockhart learned Unaided Magic at an early age, but was only ever taught Light Magic and Soul Magic."

"Interesting. I wonder what he has bonded to."

"A mixed group of several werewolves and more humans, he tells me. He used to use these bonds to stop himself and others from completely losing their minds every full moon. A sort of anchor for his mind, if you will. Anyway, that's not what I came to discuss. You are aware of Colin Creevey's petrification?"

"Well, Luna and I now share all that we know with each other, so yes. I also know that the creature from the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk, which explains why I was the only one that could hear it."

"Good. Now, I have a feeling that you are Slytherin's heir. I would normally assume that the scar on your forehead gave you the ability to speak parseltongue, but that wouldn't follow, as Voldemort's consciousness would have to take you over for that to even work. So, it is much more likely for you to be Slytherin's heir. That was practically proven to me when Ron came to Hogwarts early to investigate the Chamber of Secrets. He started by looking into Colin's mind and was petrified somehow. He now lies on a hospital bed until he can be restored by the mandrakes. I think this strange because you saw the eyes of a Basilisk through the mind of Filches cat and you only felt a pain in your chest. You were not petrified. It is possible that your direct heritage gives you some resistance to its glare."

"...So, you want me to be the only one to enter the chamber when and if we find the entrance? You want me to kill the Basilisk?"

Nodding, he said, "You are the only one with even a remote chance of success. Especially considering that you would likely be able to wrest control of the Basilisk from whoever has been using it recently."

Luna spoke up. "No." They stopped and turned to look at her. Harry felt a great deal of anger and more fear coming off from her. Though her demeanor was calm, it was also intimidating. "I'm not going to risk his death. We only just bonded this year and our bond changed to Gold this morning. There is no way he is going to do it."

Harry spoke now, "Luna, would you please consider that over half of the school is in danger?"

"I don't care about them, I care about you."

Dumbledore cut in, "Unfortunately, Luna, Muggles are no longer the other heir's target. Harry is."

"What?" She said, now looking like she would sooner chain Harry to a tree than let him go back to school.

"The thing is, Luna, Voldemort is the other heir."

Harry asked, "How?"

"I don't know, but I do know that Voldemort is trying to come back again, and now you are his primary target. The last time the chamber was opened, Voldemort, or Tom Riddle as is his true name, opened it, though he was able to pin it on Hagrid and his pet Acromantula."

"Aragog?" Harry and Luna asked together, now familiar with the secretive spider they had bonded so well to. How anyone could think such a spider was the monster, as caring as he was for his sons and daughters, was a mystery to them.

"Yes, unfortunately. That's the reason why Hagrid is now the Keeper of Keys and Grounds, and why I hide that his umbrella is his repaired wand. Now, Luna, think. Would you rather Harry take on Voldemort on his own terms, or would you allow him to ambush Harry in his sleep? Better yet, which would he more likely survive. And, before you consider hiding him, remember what happened to his parents. They hid, but they died just the same. I'll leave you to think on this, you two. Have a good rest of your day. I'm sorry that those as young as yourselves have this burden. If I could take your place, I would in a heartbeat." And, with a sorrowful expression on his face, he turned and was gone.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Luna spent most of the rest of their Christmas planning their house. They made presents for each other, and found a present from someone they didn't know under their Christmas tree. Harry got a black cloak from Luna and Xenophilius made out of non-conductive fabric and copper wire with a matching glove for his left hand, which left his palm clear of fabric and rimmed with copper. Each had runes that helped cool it down when electricity ran through it. This cloak and glove allowed his own electricity to pass through him while protecting him from spark-based offensive spells. It also allowed him to do much more damage with electricity and store much more energy-based magic within him. He also got an invisibility cloak from someone anonymous.

Harry gave Luna and Xenophilius several special flowers. He called them Eternity Flowers because, on top of everything else he made it do, he made it heal itself at an incredibly fast pace as well as be able to grow new vines at a protected section of its root, making it almost impossible to kill entirely. He made them out of a few Lotus flowers he found on the muddy bank next to the river. He gave the flower the ability to grow anywhere and then made it an aggressive and highly resilient vine with big leaves and relatively thin vines for fast growth. He then gave it the ability to be pollinated by any insect or bird. After that, he changed how it planted its seeds. Instead of the normal way of spreading, each flower on a single root would fly off of the stem up to the thermals above and would travel for several days, dropping up to five - ten tiny seeds onto the dirt below along the way. These seeds were too small to kill anyone when landing. As a final touch, he gave each flower deep neon blue petals covered in very small gold specks and made them glow those colors in the dark, then made them grow all over their house, covering every inch in aggressive vines. They smelled like apple pie. He was also planning on giving some to Dumbledore. Perhaps he would bring some to the grounds? Have them growing on the Whomping willow?

Anyway, Christmas eventually ended and school resumed. When they got off of the train, Dumbledore was standing right in front of them. "Come with me." He said, leading Malfoy (who was now in their group) Harry, Luna, and Neville to the hospital wing. Along the way, Harry and Luna had a short exchange of feelings, and of questioning. During this connection, there was a resounding feeling of peace and completeness amongst the two, while the other two were very nervous. When they got to the hospital wing, they saw the world through two minds and their intelligences were combined into one. They knew, before they even arrived, that they were heading to the hospital wing because Hermione had been petrified, which explains why she wasn't with them. She must have gone to school early with Ron, perhaps hoping to investigate the chamber together.

When they did arrive at the hospital wing, Malfoy and Neville reacted negatively at Hermione's petrified body, while Luna and Harry had already gotten over the surprise on the way there. They now began to investigate. Harry didn't bother checking her mind. He knew what he would find there. However, he did check her pockets as Luna simultaneously checked her closed hand. He only found her wand in her pocket and put it back. Luna, however, found a slip of paper that said simply, _"Girl's bathroom."_

Luna thought to Harry as she burned it covertly, _"Well, that certainly simplifies it for us."_

Harry thought back, _"Yes. Should we guard the entrance?"_

 _"I will stand at the entrance. You should go inside and destroy the monster. Or you could bond with it like Fluffy."_

 _"Agreed."_ And with that, Harry and Luna went to their common room and left through the bedroom window in their shadow forms. They flew into the lowest window they could find (practically invisible, as it was nighttime) and, still in shadow form, went to the girl's bathroom. When they got there, they looked and they looked, but they couldn't find anything in the minutes they were there before Moaning Myrtle showed up and said,

"What is a young couple such as you doing alone in a girl's bathroom the night after Christmas?"

Harry said, "Odd as it sounds, looking for the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."

Myrtle now took up a dreamy tone, "You know, sixteen years ago I died right here in this cubicle."

Luna asked, thinking it was strange for someone to die without wounds (she had no wounds that showed how she died) in this particular bathroom, "How exactly did you die, Luna?"

She answered in the same dreamy tone, "Well, I don't know. I had been crying my eyes out because a girl had made fun of my glasses. I heard someone come in and mutter something in a made up language. I could tell it was a man because it was deep, so I opened up the stall and told him to 'Go Away!' and….I died. I decided to delay crossing over to the other side of death because I wanted to know what killed me, and possibly thank it or him if I could. Unfortunately, the last thing I remember, and the only thing I know, is a pair of large yellow eyes over there by those sinks." and at this she sobbed a little. "I've tried, but there's something that prevents me from moving through it, so I've decided to go other places in the castle in recent years, looking for a way around the wards. I have found none." Then she sobbed deeply, flew up into the air, and crashed down into a toilet, spraying the cubicle with water.

Harry and Luna now looked for some indicator of the entrance as they thought back and forth, Luna asking first.

 _"What do you think we should be looking for?"_

 _"Any sign that Slytherin would use to tell his children that this is the entrance."_

 _"So, like a snake or something?"_

 _"Yes. If it comes in the form of a marking, the more realistic, the better."_

 _"This snake, here, looks pretty realistic, but it's not a marking."_ Luna said, showing Harry a mental image. He went to the front sink where Luna was looking and she showed him a realistic snake poking out of the metal of a sink knob. He turned the knob and no water came out, nor did any entrance reveal itself. Luna spoke now, _"Perhaps parseltongue?"_

 _"Yes, I thought that as well."_ Harry thought, now trying to speak it. "Open." He said to the snake. Nothing happened. He said it again and the same.

"Um….That was English. Shall I try?"

"Of course." Harry said, backing up a little. Luna stared at the snake for a while. Harry could feel her admire it as if it was a real and beautiful snake of black scales.

 _"Open."_ She said in a strange voice. Immediately, the sink sank into the ground and the entrance was revealed. Impressive. Thinking to Harry, she said, _"You must feel that the image is actually a real snake in order to speak to it."_

 _"I figured as much."_

 _"I know. Down you go, then."_ Luna thought in a worried tone. Harry went over to the entrance, which took the form of a ramp. Before he left, he turned to Luna and held her waist in his left hand and the bottom of the back of her head with his right, slowly kissing her. As they are always in each other's minds, this didn't frighten her, but only came as a pleasant surprise. Their patronus armor glowed into existence for only a few seconds, lasting even after they were done kissing. Then, looking back at Luna, he transformed into a pillar of shadow and disappeared into the depths. A dramatic exit fit for a dramatic death.

Luna stood for what seemed like an hour that was actually about twelve minutes when Harry drifted back into the room. The very moment he drifted into the chamber, she couldn't feel his mind any longer, though the bond still existed. The moment he came back, she asked him the all important question. _"What happened?"_

 _"Nothing! Nothing anywhere! I saw a massive snakeskin, but there's nothing else! How in the hell can you have a bloody Chamber of Secrets without a bloody monster?!"_

 _"Calm down, my love. I'm sure there's an explanation."_

 _"... (sigh) yes, and we will find it in due time. For now we need to-"_

 _"-guard the chamber secretly in the hopes of-"_

 _"-catching the-"_

 _"-heir-"_

 _"-in-"_

 _"-the-"_

 _"-act."_

Then they both stopped thinking for a moment. Without realizing it, their thoughts and identity melded itself into one individual mind. Strange. They slowly unentangled their minds from each other, being careful not to switch anything. Then, when they were apart, they thought to each other the same thing simultaneously,

 _"Agreed."_

-oOoOo-

The days went by slowly. Neither Luna nor Harry found it very easy to go anywhere near the chamber because Dumbledore had now put pictures in every single room in the entire castle. The only rooms he wasn't allowed to put pictures in was the bathrooms and dormitories. However, because of the invisibility cloak, they were still able to enter, just not as quickly as they could in their shadow form.

Harry spent most of his time in the chamber now, and Luna spent her time at the entrance. It was a pretty nerve-wracking business, since neither person knew what was going on with the other. At first he explored the numerous tunnels, finding nothing but a curious mind-ward set around the head of the Slytherin statue in the main chamber. It was similar to the wards in the chamber itself that was preventing him from communicating with Luna. After exploring and mapping the entire tunnel system on his first day, he asked Luna about the ward. She said that it was very likely that it was put there to prevent anyone bonding with the monster in safety, which told them that the monster was inside the statue. After that, Harry stayed hidden behind the statue, waiting for the monster to come out. After several weeks, nothing happened, and he began doing his homework as he waited.

At about this time, the club that had posted sign-up sheets months ago was now being held. Not surprising was the fact that most of the school had shown up. It was held in the Great Hall for this reason. Harry and Luna came, and Harry brought along Cuddles for dueling purposes, setting defensive spells around her first.

When Harry entered the great hall, it had a reasonable amount of people in it. The back of the great hall had three adults standing in a group talking to each other. Harry recognized Snape and Lockhart, but the third individual he didn't recognize. The third had a scarred face and grizzly hair. One of his eyes was replaced by a blue one, which whizzed in its socket, as if trying to absorb every detail in the room. When he entered, Harry noticed that the eye had paused on him for a second, and then returned to its whizzing. He could see the slightest smile pull on the man's scarred visage. After a while, Harry and Luna were joined by Neville and Malfoy. Harry and Luna felt a stab of emotional pain when remembering why Ron and Hermione couldn't join them.

Seconds later, Lockhart and the others turned around and he said,

"Ladies and gentleman, attention!" The room became deathly quiet, "Now, for reasons I am sure you all know, this school needs a form of training for every student focusing on the practical application of defense. So, I've volunteered to host this dueling club within the great hall. I have two assistants here, though they are arguably more skilled than I am at dueling. One, as you know is Severus Snape. The other is Alastair Moody. Now, as I understand, many of you have had training from Harry Potter's classes. Because of this, I expect it to be interesting. To start us off; for those who don't know how to cast a simple defensive spell, you must say 'Protego' in order to cast it. Professor Snape and I will demonstrate.

With that, Snape and Lockhart took the left and right sides of the room and faced each other. They drew their wands, bowed, and then stood ready, wands facing each other. Lockhart began,

"3...2...1...go." Snape said lazily, 'Expelliarmus!' then Lockhart said 'Protego!' and the spell hit an invisible shield, impacting with a small spark, leaving a shockwave on the shield like water. They stopped and turned towards the audience. Lockhart said,

"There you have it. I want you all to separate into pairs and dual. Remember, the purpose is to disarm only. I don't want to catch any of you casting unforgivable curses on each other." Everyone got into groups. Harry went with Malfoy and Luna went with Neville. When Harry and Luna parted, Luna said,

"Goodbye, Furry Potter." Harry grinned a little at this. He couldn't believe she remembered! That was months ago! He could feel her humor and affection seep through their bond. Anyway, Malfoy and Harry faced each other, wands drawn.

"Scared, Potter?" He said, smiling in a friendly manner.

"No, my apprentice. I am not even scared of death." Harry replied humorously. Despite the humor, Draco knew he was serious. He really wasn't scared. Of anything. Ever. This wasn't from some proud 'I ain't never scared of nothin' motto, but from an incredible peace inside of himself. He didn't know where it came from at the time. He never figured it out until he was seventeen. Words from Lockhart could be heard above the gentle whispers of the crowd.

"I want you to begin in three...two….one….now." Harry and Malfoy knew that spells were being launched all around them. Most of the kids that Harry had never taught were disarmed when the first spells were cast. Harry let Malfoy cast the first spell, siphoning it off and casting his spell. Malfoy copied his siphon and simply waited for another spell. They paused for a second and then Harry said,

"You know, I think that spell siphon is a little OP."

"Yes, it is."

Harry then said 'Lumos', flicking his wand at Draco's siphon. As with all other things made of shadow, the siphon collapsed when the bright light was introduced. Harry then neutralized Draco's spell with his siphon and followed up with three spells split from one stinging spell. He blocked two with his 'Protego', but noticed the third coming up behind him too late. Upon Draco receiving a sharp pain in his back, Harry launched a spell he invented. A silent spell that has the same effect as the Expelliarmus, but tears through the 'Protego' while retaining its effect. It's completely useless against the siphon, but still very useful since the only people who truly knew how to make the siphon were all within this school. As expected, Malfoy said 'Protego' and was disarmed.

Harry was interrupted by a gruff voice. "Wait, how did you manage to disarm him even after he protected himself?"

"I invented a silent version of the Expelliarmus that punctures through the Protego while keeping its effect."

"Oh. I already know that one. All you did was modify the normal Expelliarmus."

Lockhart then said at the front, interrupting all dueling, "Well….that was certainly a good start, but we need to see how someone really duels. Moody! Any pair you thought was exceptional?"

Alastair, being the man he is, clapped his hand down on Harry's shoulder, "I thought Harry and Draco, here, were a notch better than some others I saw."

"Right. Draco, Harry, to the front, please." They did as he was told. Harry said to Draco as they were parting,

"Don't hold back, Draco."

"I won't." He replied with a savage grin. This was going to be fun.

When Draco and Harry got to their respective sides of the room, Snape whispered into Draco's ear. Harry, having his improved hearing, heard Snape say, "Summon a snake the first thing you do. This might distract him."

Then the duel began. Draco started them off with 'Serpensortia!' His wand made a 'BANG!' and a snake of average size flew out of his wand and landed between them. Harry immediately put up his patronus armor to ward off any spells Draco might throw at him as he briefly studied the snake. Draco wisely didn't cast any more spells. It was, he found, highly poisonous. That wasn't going to do him much good against Harry, but could easily kill another student. Furthermore, he found that this 'snake' wasn't really a snake at all. It was a mindless killing machine that only obeyed its master, which was nothing like any of the other snakes he had met. He quickly found that it was impossible to bond with it. That's why Harry didn't think twice about burning the monster alive.

"Incendio!" Harry said, and the little snake-version-of-a-psychopath burnt to ash in seconds. This seemed to surprise everyone except Norberta and Luna. Everyone knew that he had a passion for life. For many of those bonded to Harry, to see him incinerate a snake was as strange as seeing Pennywise lovingly hug a small child, saying 'I'm sorry you lost your boat, Georgy. Do you want a balloon? They float! They all float, Georgy! Just like your boat! Would that make it better, Georgy?', not that they knew of that muggle book. Seeing Harry incinerate a living thing was like seeing a darker side of the world for the first time to many of them, and was a rather scary contrast to the 'life is sacred' attitude he usually adopted. This made them doubt that Harry was honest about not being the heir that was attacking people. This made them accept the possibility that he could have been fooling all of them with a cleverly constructed mask. No one would suspect a loving, passionate person such as Harry to be the heir trying to kill Muggleborn, just as no one would suspect that a poor, stuttering Quirrell would try to bring a dark lord back to life, and those thoughts are exactly why they suspected Harry now. Many of them wondered if this was what kind of thing Lockhart was warning about.

A boy in the crowd yelled, "What are you playing at?" Harry looked into the crowd and couldn't find out who asked. He looked at the faces in the crowd and saw fear in their eyes. More, he _smelled_ the fear. The room stank with its powerful scent, and Harry's wolfish instincts were brought out because of it. His patronus armor collapsed when this happened. Harry, barely forcing back the transformation, grabbed his head in his hands and gritted his teeth. This caused many people to become much more frightened, which only added to Harry's problem. If it weren't for his various companions that he had bonded to, he would have transformed before he was able to sprint out of the room.

-oOoOo-

Harry ran, rather than flew, as quickly as he could to his common room, because he couldn't use unaided magic. Just as he shut the door, hair began to crop up all over his body. The smell was all over him. Everything smelled of salty sweat, bitter fear hormones, and sour adrenaline. Harry, not knowing that he would be transforming today, hadn't worn any clothes enchanted to disappear when he transformed. The transformation was as slow and as painful as a normal werewolf's transformation for some reason. As Harry tore through his clothes with his claws, Luna and Lockhart entered the room at the same time, fur cropping up all over their bodies as well. Luna seemed to be the only calm one, was the only one who seemed to be wearing transformation clothes, and her transformation was quicker than theirs. The man in the picture frame above the fireplace was gone when Harry looked. Harry led the way to the unused bedroom that Harry had only entered once before at the beginning of the year.

When they entered, it was rather cramped, but at least there was a queen size bed they could lay on. Lockhart tore up the door with his claws, growling as his did so. Harry smashed the desk chair to smithereens. Luna, however, just sat in the corner, watching them behave like….well, animals. She did this with a humorous expression on her face, if ever a werewolf had one. Eventually, the smell of fear was purged from their fur with their exertions, and their minds loosened. Luna transformed back to normal before the other two and took Harry into their bedroom. On the way across the hall, Luna saw Dumbledore enter the room quietly, carrying a set of robes. Harry didn't flip out like Luna had expected and they entered their room without incident.

Upon entering the room, Harry went directly to the closet and grabbed a set of clothes, transforming back into human form. Luna looked away, blushing a deep red. Harry noticed this and mentally giggled while putting on his clothes. This time the transformation was quick. After putting on his clothes, they opened the door and went back into the common room where they found Dumbledore standing, absent of the robes he was carrying.

"Hello, Albus." Luna said.

"Hello, Luna. Do either of you know what happened?"

Harry spoke up, "Well….I was dueling Draco in that new dueling club and incinerated a snake he had summoned. Then everyone just suddenly became extremely afraid. I don't really know much of why that made me transform, but it did."

Luna then said, "I felt the fear Harry sensed bring out the more violent instincts of his wolf-self out, where it loosely separated itself from the human-self and took form in the forefront of his mind, forcing him to transform. Strangely, I had no such reaction. Lupin had a similar reaction but wasn't affected as deeply. I felt a multitude of minds calming both of them and it saved them enough time to make it to the common room with me before transforming."

Lockhart then came out of the unused bedroom and said, "Well, that was strange. What just happened?"

Harry said, "Your wolfish instincts reacted to the fear you smelled, taking control of your mind."

"Didn't you cure that?"

"No, we only broke down the barrier between wolf and man, allowing the man to control the wolf. Now we must control our instincts to prevent the wolf from becoming more powerful than the man."

"How in the hell do we do that?"

"With time we will know."

Dumbledore then asked, "Luna, why do you think you didn't react as they did?"

"It could be my naturally calm demeanor, or that I am a female, or that I was at the back of the class, furthest away from the fear. Perhaps a mixture of those things."

He nodded, "Interesting. You three will give me updates on your conditions, yes?"

Harry and Luna spoke in unison, without any overlap, which seamlessly mixed the tones. "If anything changes, you'll be the first to know."

Lockhart, who had recently made a cup of tea, spit the tea in his mouth back into his cup, splashing tea all over himself and the hardwood floor. Harry and Luna looked at him with the same questioning expression. Dumbledore asked,

"Do you two often say things in unison now?"

Harry and Luna said, "I don't talk in unison, do I?" Then parted their minds from each other when they realized what they were doing. Harry and Luna, having been through a strange experience, had melded their minds to completely understand what the other had went through almost automatically. This made them speak and act as one person. Dumbledore laughed at this,

"You know, this reminds me of something Aristotle once said; 'Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.' Fitting for this situation, don't you think?"

Lockhart said, "I'll say! How do you two do that, anyway?"

They did it again without noticing, "Our minds become one. Our bond is now so powerful that we are able to meld our minds together, sometimes without realizing it, apparently." Then Harry stopped talking and Luna continued as Harry began wondering why is it that the people in the dueling club where scared in the first place. "We've been keeping our minds together so much that we now learn and think with the same mind. Sometimes this causes us to do the same thing at once, which can be a little alarming to others. Even some skills, such as parseltongue, have been able to cross over our bond."

Harry spoke now, "I think that the reason why they were afraid is because they knew that I loved animals, particularly reptilians, and then they saw me kill a snake. Many of them must have seen this, thought that I had lied to them about my love for snakes, and then took that to its furthest conclusion; that I am a cold blooded killer who has opened the Chamber of Secrets and is trying to kill people."

"That seems to match the emotions I picked up from the other's minds."

The conversation degraded into obvious banter and small talk. Lockhart and Dumbledore eventually left and Harry repaired the damages of the unused room, then Luna and he went back to the Chamber of Secrets to guard it. After a few hours, Harry hid in the shadows and did his homework. Potions, his least favorite class, had assigned another essay. Two scrolls long. He was so sucked into writing that he didn't notice Ginny Weasley walk into the chamber. He didn't notice who she was dragging with her. He didn't notice her point her wand at Harry. Until it was too late, that is.

Harry glanced up briefly and a blur of red registered to him. He looked now and saw Ginny with her wand pointed at him. Then, a figure on her left seemed to materialize on her left and put a hand on her shoulder. He smiled an evil smile. Ginny fainted, falling onto the floor. Harry looked down at what Ginny was dragging. What he saw made his blood boil.

 _"Luna."_

 **AN: Alright, it's official. I am evil. That kind of cliffhanger? What do you think about it? Any comments? Anything you want to happen in this book's future? I won't know if you won't tell me, so tell me!**


	11. Death, Infection

**I was very tempted to end this chapter when all of the messed up stuff happens and then be like 'nope, you know all of that stuff that had just happened, I just reversed it!' in the next chapter but I figured someone would bomb my house, so I'm not going to do that. You know, the classic 'We just killed Glen, but he'll be alive after the next few episodes.' move that pisses everyone off. But for now, live long and prosper, and enjoy the read!**

Dumbledore sat in his office, alone, crying. _What world is this? What kind of world would give a child the responsibility of killing a dark lord?_ This question was burned into his brain the day Harry survived the killing curse. _The sick part is that I have to let it happen, despite being the most powerful wizard of my time. What kind of person am I, to let this happen?_

"You have to, Albus." He said to himself, taking a swig of firewhiskey. It burned on the way down, ending his tears and soothing the lump in his throat. Fawkes, whose bond with Dumbledore grew stronger every day and night, soothed the man's distressed mind. "No one else has a chance to survive." _Not even me. I have no chance against him._ Suddenly, a thought came to mind. _Why didn't you think of this before, you dolt!_ "Fawkes, I need you to check on Harry. He should be in his common room. If he isn't, go to the girl's bathroom. The one we spoke of before. Please hurry."

-oOoOo-

McGonagall was speed-walking along the corridor to talk to Snape about a detention given to one of her students for breathing too loudly, using 'Lumos' to light her way. As she was making her way to the dungeons, Fawkes flew right past her head on her right, knocking the wand out of her hand. The professor sighed, bending to pick up her wand, and then saw red on what was a grey stone wall. Written in blood was the text;

 _ **HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER**_

Heart jumping, she turned to the picture on the wall next to her that was just waking up for the light. The professor was about to talk to it, but upon reading the blood on the wall, the picture, a rather old, worn man sitting on a chair, said in an almost incomprehensible Scottish accent, "Well, that's not good. I'll go tell the headmaster."

-oOoOo-

Neville was waiting in the common room impatiently. Ginny was supposed to arrive there fifteen minutes ago! Though, he didn't blame her if she ran off to the girl's bathroom, crying. She did just get a detention from Snape. For breathing! It was terrible. Oh, well. Either way, he might as well go check up on her. Make sure she's OK.

-oOoOo-

"As you can see, a student has been taken, by the monster, into the very Chamber itself." McGonagall said to the entire senior staff and Lockhart, except Dumbledore, who had also gone missing after hearing of the message and spreading the word himself. Listening around the corner was none other than Neville, who was now recounting the reports of attacks from the Chamber, looking for a central location, an entrance. _I am going to find her, even if it gets me killed._

-oOoOo-

Neville went back to the scene of the first attack, hoping to find the entrance standing wide open, because otherwise he was powerless to enter. Speak of the devil, several sinks in the girl's bathroom had been moved aside to reveal a rather large pipe downward. There was a pool of blood on the floor, leading to the pipe, and a wand in the blood. Neville, who had trained with Luna many times, recognized her wand immediately. _The heir shall die._ Filled with a cold rage, Neville picked up the wand and dove into the pipe after the blood.

-oOoOo-

" _Luna."_ Harry thought again, stunned. He could feel nothing from her. Her mind, though not entirely gone, was silent. He could feel her. She was alive. But she was less conscious than she would be if she were normally asleep and there seemed to be a….mist….or maybe a veil than was growing thicker between them. Harry felt naked without her calm thoughts wrapped around his mind. Harry feared that she was dying. There was a pool of blood gathering on the floor she laid. Ginny felt worse off. She felt like she was dying as well, but, unlike with Luna, he sensed a malevolent presence around her, siphoning the life energy she used to breath and beat her heart. This was magic far beyond Harry's understanding, done by a wizard far beyond his skill. The only hope Harry felt he had was overestimation, or perhaps underestimation. And a great deal of cloak-and-dagger type distraction. Either way, he was not going to get through this honestly.

Smiling coldly, Harry stood, speaking in a voice that would have sounded at home in a normal conversation. In this setting, however, it hinted at a person who knew much and feared little. "I see you have finally found the correct moment to strike, Tom."

Voldemort hissed, "Do not call me that name! I am Lord Voldemort!"

"You are nothing but a coward who cannot even face death. Cannot even look it in the eye."

He paused at this, looking calm, yet extremely angry. Not good. "Well then. Let's see if you are any different." Then he turned to the statue of Slytherin, "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four." Well, the face of Slytherin's statue exploded and out came the basilisk Harry had been waiting to meet all year. No one but Harry noticed the pool of blood under Luna grow smaller. The giant snake was more beautiful than Harry had ever hoped to imagine, though the imagination doesn't quite capture beauty as well as Harry would like. Almost immediately, bonds began to weave itself between the basilisk and Harry, growing thicker as the moments passed. By the time the snake reached the floor, they could already share feelings. The snake felt Harry's appreciation of her beauty, something she hadn't felt in….hundreds of years. The bonds began to almost fly together at lightning speed as the snake grabbed onto this feeling with a ravenous hunger. Harry felt the snake's desperate loneliness. It….no, _she_ had been sitting alone for far too long, and Harry's heart went out to her, only feeding the bond that had now went from clear to grey for its density.

Harry thought to the snake, _"Something as beautiful as you shouldn't be trapped here for so long."_ It was that moment that he made the mistake of looking at the snake's eyes. At first they were glowing yellow, and Harry's heart jerked in pain, but then the eyes turned green almost immediately.

"… _.you're not dead. How...? You are the real heir."_ Anger spiked into Harry's mind as the snake faced Voldemort. "That's why you can't even look at me! That's why you don't care about me! That's why you are afraid of me! You are not the heir! Harry is! It was Harry all along, yet you tried to get me to kill him! The only person that could ever care!" Voldemort was looking at the wall, anger building, and Ginny's wand in hand. The snake, whose name Harry detected as Caroline, made its eyes turn yellow again, something that Harry guessed was what her eyes looked like when they were deadly, and seemed to be triggered by negative emotions as a defense mechanism. Anger, yes, and perhaps fear.

Yelling hysterically, Voldemort pushed Ginny's wand towards Caroline. The gargantuan snake was forced away from him and wrapped in black tendrils of what looked remarkably like spirit bonds to Harry. He could feel them siphoning off her life energy, just like with Ginny. But there were no bonds between Voldemort and Ginny like there was with Caroline. Could there be another source?

"AVADA KADAVERA!" Voldemort yelled, pointing Ginny's wand at Harry. A figure in a grey cloak appeared in front of him and cast his own,

"Avada Kadavera." This spell was the purest white, and temporarily blinded any who looked at it. Except for Dumbledore, that is. In facing death, something clicked in his mind. Something that he couldn't reveal until later. Their spells clashed. Where they collided, it turned gold and stopped. Meanwhile, Harry tore at the bonds around Ginny and Caroline, trying to end Voldemort's return.

Neville walked over to Luna, who had now healed completely, and gave her wand to her. Harry successfully broke the bonds on Caroline and she was able to move again, but the bonds on Ginny seemed to be forming for months. The pattern was far more complicated than the bond on Caroline and seemed to have latched itself to several different aspects of her mind. Destroying the bond would take Harry days, which was time they didn't have. Knowing that the bond must be latched to a source other than Voldemort, Harry went to Ginny and searched her pockets. He found a diary. It was wreathed in black magic that felt caustic to the mind. He needed something powerful to destroy it. How about basilisk venom?

-oOoOo-

Voldemort and Dumbledore's spells clashed in the middle, creating a shock wave. Dumbledore was winning. He must find some way to get rid of the spell. Something in his mind snapped and he realized that his control of the snake had ended. He could feel the Potter boy prying at his bond with Weasley, but he was too weak to do any significant harm. He saw Potter run over to Weasley. At the same time, Lovegood and Longbottom were preparing an assault on him. Simple enough to deal with, all he had to do is unlatch himself from Dumbledore's spell and-

Harry pulled out the diary from Ginny's coat pocket. There was a basilisk in the room. He was going to die. He acted. Pushing Dumbledore's spell into the wall behind him, which crumbled a pillar, Voldemort thrust different sections of the pillar at Dumbledore, Lovegood, and Longbottom, buying him just enough time to-

"AVADA KADAVERA!"

"No!" Said Lovegood, diving in front of Harry, who held a look of horror on his face as he realized what was happening. A phoenix dove out the air in front of Lovegood and the spell impacted it. Voldemort smiled briefly. The spell would jump from person to person without any electrical interference. The fools. Longbottom was too slow to avoid the stone, but Dumbledore disintegrated the stone flying at him and Longbottom, as expected, now preparing to cast the same blinding killing curse. When Voldemort's spell impacted the phoenix, it exploded, forcing Lovegood, Longbottom, Potter, and Weasley in multiple directions, only a second after the killing curse jumped from the phoenix to Lovegood to Potter, where it met an electric barrier and arched upward, destroying part of the ceiling, causing it to fall downward towards them. The explosion had thrown off Dumbledore, who was now about to aim his wand at Voldemort, but noticed the falling ceiling and decided to disintegrate the rubble instead.

"Avada Kadavera." Voldemort said one last time, with a coldness that hinted at the finality of death. Dumbledore was too busy saving the dead to save himself, and was thrown back by the power of the killing curse. Suddenly, Voldemort was in the jaws of the basilisk and being shaken back and forth. Though he was not immune to the venom, he could not be punctured, which made the venom useless. Throwing the air around him against the snake in the form of a shockwave, he blew most of the fangs out of its mouth in various directions, falling back down to the floor. When he landed, his head struck the floor and he blacked out.

-oOoOo-

Harry's ears rang and he felt like he had been hit by a truck and stabbed several times. A sharp, burning pain was spreading from his arm to the rest of his body. The corrupted book was still clutched firmly in his hands. He felt himself grow weaker every second. He decided to lie still, feeling with his mind to see if he was safe. Neville and Voldemort had blacked out from concussions. Dumbledore and Luna seemed to be absent, causing part of his mind to re-visit their absence several times as he checked the other's minds, like your tongue would a missing tooth. On a conscious level, what really happened refused to register to him, so he moved on. Fawkes was OK, but couldn't really fly. He felt the phoenix move towards him. Caroline was in agony. Apparently, Voldemort had blown up her mouth, launching her fangs in all directions, and dropping himself on his head. Not a very good way to return. Again his mind went over Dumbledore and Luna and he opened his eyes to see Luna's vacant ones. She was absent, yet she was here. Harry's mind became sluggish, as if trying to prevent him from having conscious thought. Then he slowly pieced it together in a mind that wanted him to go back to sleep – to rest until he felt better – to give up and die.

Luna was dead. Dumbledore was dead. Neville and Ginny were slowly dying and so was Caroline. Voldemort was coming back, waking up, in fact. He was only seconds away from becoming self-sustaining. And now, Harry felt like he was dying. His arm burned, and when he looked, he saw a fang the size of a spearhead sticking out of his arm. He then saw Voldemort raise his head from the chamber floor, and anger filled him. Voldemort didn't get to live after what he had done. His friends weren't going to die in vain. He would not walk gently into that fateful night.

Taking the fang from his arm, he stabbed it into the book he held. It spewed black liquid and Voldemort yelled in pain, a hole of light forming over his heart, then he exploded into a billion fragments of burning light, giving Harry a terrible sunburn and throwing him to the floor, where he passed out again, faintly hoping to be with Luna soon.

-oOoOo-

Luna's eyes opened to see Dumbledore lovingly gaze down on her. She could swear that she had seen her mother's eyes recently. She went to a different place where she saw a lot of people she knew and a lot more that she didn't know. She felt so good and so free, but something snapped her back here to her body. She remembered something about Dumbledore, but….it was slipping away like water. She tried to remember anything else about it, but it just deteriorated into nothing. Just as the last wisps of the memory left her, she heard a deep and kind voice speak in her mind that she could barely recognize.

" _I'm sorry, Luna, but I cannot allow you to spoil it for Harry."_ And just like that, it was as if she was just waking from a dreamless sleep rather than death. All she could remember about it was being hit by the curse, and now, waking up. Luna was helped up by Dumbledore. Neville was sitting up and holding his head, as if he had a splitting headache. Fawkes looked like she just hatched. Voldemort was nowhere to be seen. The basilisk, whose eyes she could now look into and whose name she knew as Caroline, was wrapped in a wide circle around something, as if trying to protect it. Dumbledore spoke.

"I tried to reason with her, but she refused to remove herself from around Harry. Although I think, since you and Harry now share all of your bonds, she would allow you into her coils. I warn you, Harry will take time to heal and it is best you not wake him. He has been through a lot and his body needs to recover."

"Dumbledore, do you share the same passion with animals as Harry does?"

"Well….in my younger years I was foolish and I didn't care for other forms of life. Now….I have seen a glimpse of the beauty that becoming one with nature holds. Look to this basilisk, this supposed monster, protecting a child as if it were her only love. Her only purpose. She is devoted to him because Harry is the only one that loves her. Do you see these bite marks on her hide?"

Now that Dumbledore mentioned it, she did see peculiar bite marks all over her body. Sections of scale were brighter than the rest. "Who could have done this to her?"

"One could argue that Slytherin did. Locking a being up alone for hundreds of years can do a lot of damage to someone. However, she hibernated most of that time. These marks are fairly recent in her lifespan, the oldest dating back fifty years. It seems that it is Voldemort that caused her to want to bite herself, waking her from her sleep and treating her like a tool, rather than giving her the affection and compassion she deserves. And now that she feels love and purpose again, she is devoted to the only one that gives her that. Also, Voldemort's disregard for the power of love lost him a valuable ally in this situation. Ironically, his disregard for life has lead to his death. Funny how that works out."

Luna had already begun walking towards the giant snake. Putting her hand onto its scaled body, she thought to her, _"May I come in, Caroline?"_ She simply formed an arch with her body, allowing her in. In the center of her circle, Harry lay on the ground. He seemed to be bleeding from all of the openings in his face. She put his head in her lap and began healing his wounds, humming a poem that he once wrote for her as if it were a song.

 _Hold my poor heart_

 _Cause it beats for you_

 _Anyway._

 _If it had a choice_

 _It would leave me and with_

 _You would stay._

 _There's no doubt in my mind_

 _tomorrow will shine with the_

 _thought of you._

 _and that if you leave,_

 _my heart will turn black_

 _with the pain of you._

 _Please have my life_

 _For it lives for you_

 _Anyway._

 _It always feels this_

 _burning Inside for you_

 _ev'ry day_

 _you're the reason I wake_

 _and why I can't fall asleep_

 _at night_

 _so come live with me_

 _to take away the dark_

 _inside_

 _Here is my soul_

 _Its flame burns for you_

 _Anyway_

 _Its passions won't end_

 _With the way you make_

 _your beauty mine_

 _Yet before it saw you_

 _It could not stand the_

 _Light of day_

 _So keep it with you_

 _And we'll be together till_

 _The end of time._

Caroline sent waves of appreciation to her. Seconds passed and she eventually joined in, speaking parseltongue in an alien and melodic tone, which gave it a strange, yet beautiful twist, as if it were being sung by a magical and fictional creature of such rarity and beauty that ensnares the imagination of those listening. After a while, when Luna and Caroline realized that Harry wasn't going to wake up any time soon, they began talking to each other. Luna thought,

" _You really care for him, don't you?"_

" _I care for both of you."_

" _Why? I did nothing for you."_

" _To say that I care for him and to say that I care for you are to say exactly the same thing. There is no difference between your mind and his. That is why I let you in."_

" _Tell me about yourself. Why do you seem to have such human needs when we have a snake that doesn't need people or even conscious life other than its prey for months on end?"_

" _Slytherin told me that he had a silver bond with me and that changed me somehow."_

" _Silver? That's a 'Mother's Love Bond'. Slytherin was bonded to you?"_

" _Yes. We could speak to each other with our minds just like right now. Also, we were able to see into each other's minds._ _Those where good days. Harry reminds me of Slytherin so much. He even tastes like him."_

" _That's weird. Why exactly is that?"_

" _I don't know. But I do know that everyone I have ever known that can speak parseltongue, accept you, tastes the same way."_

" _That's interesting. So, since being a parseltongue doesn't cause the smell, maybe you must be something else in order to be a parseltongue, like a half-snake, half-human hybrid, as weird as that sounds."_

" _Sounds plausible. Anyway, onto more important things."_

Sensing Caroline's feelings, Luna asked, _"By that do you mean, 'What's going to happen to me?'"_

" _Yes."_

" _What do you want to happen?"_

" _I want to be with Harry and you more often. I want to be free in the wild. I want a safe place to hibernate when it's cold. I want to be loved."_

" _Well, we could take you into the Forbidden Forest."_

" _I remember living in a forest next to a castle when I was little." She said, mind becoming misty with memories._

" _That's the one I'm talking about. We could also bond you to a giant, black king cobra. His name is Thana. Would you like that?"_

" _How big is he?"_

" _Oh, he's big enough, I can tell you that much. I don't have precise measurements, but I know that you and him are going to get along just fine. He's stopped growing, too, so he doesn't require too much food. How much food do you need?"_

" _I haven't eaten in hundreds of years and I'm still not completely hungry, though I could use a dear or two."_

Luna laughed at this, as the first part of that saying was a joke to humans, _"Awesome, so we aren't going to get any flack from the acromantulas. By the way, does a rooster's crow actually kill you?"_

" _Well I've heard a rooster crow, so probably not."_

" _That's funny. A book on basilisks says that they do kill you."_

" _Sometimes even truth is bent by legends. What else have you heard about basilisks?"_

" _That they come about by a chicken's egg hatching under a toad."_

" _Though that is possible, it isn't true in my case. I came about simply by two basilisks breeding. Slytherin told me that their estate held many basilisks one time, but they were all killed by something called a 'ministry', whatever that is. I'm the only surviving basilisk of the estate now."_

" _That must make you lonely."_

" _Well, I'm not lonely anymore. I have you two, and I'll eventually have Thana as well. I wonder how he's going to be."_

" _Shall we find out? We can go now if you want."_

" _As long as we take Harry with us."_

" _That's fine with me."_ Luna said, picking up Harry. She noticed the venom still in his veins, though it wasn't taking affect. _"I thought the venom left him."_

" _I don't know why it's like this, but at least he's OK."_

-oOoOo-

Lockhart got back from the Chamber of Secrets and went into his office. The situation was taken care of. Apparently the basilisk was good now, so it was taken to the Forbidden Forest for who knows what reason. Harry was put into the hospital wing as soon as he was taken out of the chamber. No one knows why the venom still remains. Dumbledore says that it should have been cleaned out of his system by now. At least Harry isn't going to die, though.

After considering the circumstances, Lockhart broke out a bottle of firewhiskey. It was a special blend that he illegally brewed himself. It was stronger, hotter, and you could even breathe fire with it, but that would waste the alcohol. He was thinking of making his own business around it. He was thinking of calling it Dragon's Fire. He used to drink this stuff every full moon to knock himself out before he transformed, but now that he no longer needed to do that, the bottle was remarkably full and he only had three bottles left.

He opened the bottle and poured himself a double shot, savoring the look of the liquid. The drink was a light-scarlet color, and on the surface danced bright blue flames. The flames were a product of the drink being introduced to the oxygen in the air. The bottle was enchanted to prevent oxygen from getting in. The flame spread the scent of burning mesquite. Downing the first, he poured himself another and downed that one. The third one he let burn in his mouth, then gulped that one down as well. The fourth he used to blow flames out his nose, humoring himself. The fire didn't hurt organic life, but it did clear the hell out of his sinuses. Now everything smelled like burning mesquite.

He was half way into the bottle and most of the way to passing out when his office door opened. _Damn. Forgot to lock the door. Wait, no I locked that door._ The person opening the door was Madam Pomfrey.

"Hello, Gilderoy. I was wondering if you were doing OK."

"Don't you have The Boy who Lived _Again_ to attend to?" He asked, taking another swig of Dragon's Fire.

"Well, actually I was wondering….If you would like to…."

"You caught me when I was drunk on purpose didn't you?" He asked, breathing a thin and long stream of fire after saying this. Madam Pomfrey instinctively inhaled the smell of the office deeply.

"Yes." She said, blushing. Lockhart got up and crossed the room to her, leaving the Dragon's Breath and his wand at the table. For a second he hesitated, and then they kissed.

"Is this why?" He asked her

"Petrificus Totallus." She said, jabbing him in the stomach with her wand. He grew ridged and fell on his face, breaking his nose. From the floor, he heard her say. "You dunce! Taking you down was easier than eating cake!" Then she yelled, "Kreacher!" A loud pop and then a voice that sounded like whoever owned it used the voice of a frog to speak,

"Yes, Master Bellatrix?"

"Take this man to the Riddle Home."

"Yes, my Mistress."

-oOoOo-

Luna was next to Harry's bed for the second time this year. Lines of venom had spread through his blood vessels all over his body, though he was not dying. He was very hot, he was sweating profusely, and he had gone pale. His heart was racing like he was hunting deer. Luna laughed at this observation, gently whispering,

"Furry Potter."

Madam Pomfrey was there the whole time, never left, ever, Always checking Harry's health.

"I've never seen a case quite like this." She said. "The phoenix tears had no affect on the venom, only healed his wounds. Furthermore, it seems that Harry is immune to the venom. The venom itself is nothing like I've ever seen."

Luna asked, "It's not basilisk venom?"

"No, it's far more powerful. Watch this." She dripped a sample of the venom she got from a fang in the Chamber onto what appeared to be a diamond. The diamond melted, and it went through the tray, the plate, and part of the floor before the venom stopped.

"Whoa."

"Whoa indeed. Yet he's immune!"

"Yes he is." Luna said, turning to Harry. She had already been surprised by both of them being immune to a basilisk's killing glare, now this? Luna didn't know if she should be worried or happy. She chose happy, then said,

"Can I try that out on my finger?"

"No, but I can take a flesh sample and see if it takes effect." This is exactly what she did. Minutes later and another hole in the floor, the nurse said, "No effects! Your tissue is immune!"

Luna smiled. They were both immune to the venom. She felt the temperature of the room drop a little, and then it went up again. Strange.

-oOoOo-

Harry had a dream that Norberta tried to storm the castle again. Caroline told her that he was OK and Norberta calmed down, but not until after seeing Harry safe in the infirmary through the window. A short while later, Harry's bright green eyes opened to see Luna's big, Deep Blue ones. Immediately, his mind calmed, and then he questioned her with his mind, sleep still fogging his thoughts,

" _I thought you were dead. You were hit by the spell. I saw your dead b-"_

" _Do not think of such things. It was undone somehow. I am alive and so are you. Be happy that it is true."_

" _Of course I am happy; I just want to know how."_

" _We will know in time. But, for now, let us live together and enjoy each other. I don't want us to grow up too fast."_

Harry calmed and Luna stroked his messy hair behind his ears repeatedly, like she does when he is in his wolf form. It finally registered to Harry on an emotional level that Luna was alive and tears gathered in his eyes. Luna clasped his left hand tightly and continued brushing. He squeezed her hand back, a single tear streaming down his eye. Madam Pomfrey departed to give a sample of the venom to Professor Snape for analysis. They sat there like that for a while. The relief in Harry was immense. Everyone Harry was deeply bonded to felt this relief. Around the school, many stopped and began to cry for a reason they didn't quite understand. All they knew is that they were so happy that they couldn't contain it. Many hugged, laughing and crying at the same time. For those who were bonded to Harry deeply enough, they knew why they felt this way and were able to separate themselves from it, but few did. A few hours passed, and then Harry passed out from exhaustion. Clearing the venom from his system was taking a lot out of him.

-oOoOo-

When he woke, he felt very feverish. He was cold, weak, and sweating. He was also back in the common room on the big couch, wearing all new clothes. Luna was sitting on the loveseat across from the table on Harry's right, petting Asmund. Cuddles was resting on Harry's chest in a tight ball. Harry sensed that he was dreaming of attacking three mice dancing on a clock. Norberta welcomed him from rest, seeming to relax a little. Luna said,

"Good morning, sleepy head. How do you feel?"

"Terrible, but glad." Harry said, standing up. Cuddles woke up easily and lay across his shoulders. His bones and joints ached as well. Harry tried to stretch and he yawned. The center of his jaw clicked, like his finger would when he popped it, then his mouth was filled with excruciating pain.

"OW!" He grunted.

"What happened?"

"The center of my jaw just popped." Harry said calmly, resuming what he was doing. He sat down and began thinking, shivering as he did so. It was painful to open his mouth too wide and to eat, so he refrained from talking and eating. He just went hungry for the day, and he spoke to others using his thoughts. Soon after his jaw popped, he had to go to the bathroom. When he pissed, not only did it burn like hell, it came out grey.

"Well, that's not normal," said Harry. It appeared to him that the venom was being flushed from his system. He didn't think much of it until the grey piss started corroding the toilet. "My body couldn't break it down or something?"

Harry left the bathroom and told the picture over the fireplace to tell Dumbledore what had happened. Seconds later they heard a knock on their door, except it was Snape instead of Dumbledore.

"What happened?"

"It appears that the venom from Caroline is flushing out of my system into my urine, causing the toilet to melt."

"Who is Caroline?"

"The Basilisk."

"Good. Where is the toilet?" Harry led the way. Snape brought out a large glass container that appeared to have some special clear coating on it. Snape waved his wand and cast a silent spell that separated the venom from the urine and put it inside the container. There wasn't much venom, and it was greenish black. He then said 'scourgify', which cleared off the urine and water, and 'repairo', which restored the toilet to normal. "Thank you, Harry. This venom seems to be invaluable. Please call me after every time you piss and do not flush, understand?"

"Yes, professor."

"Carry on." Snape said, leaving with the container of venom.

When Snape was gone, Luna told Harry, "That reminds me, Harry. Dumbledore told me that we needed to meet him after you woke up."

"OK." And they left for Dumbledore's office. When they got to the gargoyle, Luna was about to say 'Lemon Drop', but the gargoyle had begun to move already. Harry noticed that a picture to the left of the Gargoyle was empty when it used to have an elderly looking man in it. They went up the stairs and eventually entered the office. It had hardly changed. Dumbledore was waiting, sitting at his desk. So was Snape, Neville, Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, Ron, Hermione, and Madam Pomfrey.

Luna spoke, "I can see that you three have been revived. I'm glad," indicating Mrs. Norris, Ron, and Hermione.

"Thank you." Ron said. Hermione nodded. Those two joined them while. Mrs. Norris licked her paw. Dumbledore began.

"Yes, Luna, thank you indeed. Now, we need to discuss a few things. First, Harry, let's start with the promise you've given Filch.

Harry thought, _"Ah, yes."_ Moving towards Filch and Norris. He put a hand on each of their heads, delving into each of their minds. Harry found that Norris had no memory of the basilisk's eyes. That was very convenient, as Filch may become paralyzed if he looked into her mind. Good, now He formed a bond with each of them, allowing their minds to become like his, finding a middle ground to build their own bond. Then, he broke the strands of the bond and weaved the broken ends together, effectively bonding Filch to Norris. Almost immediately, the bonds became green. After seeing this, Luna said,

"Whoa. I didn't know that you loved each other that much."

"Yes," said Filch, closing his eyes and rocking Mrs. Norris back and forth, as if he was dancing with his cat, "Thank you, Harry."

"Good, now," said Dumbledore, "You may leave us, Filch." He left and Dumbledore continued. "Well, Harry and Luna, I want to hear more about your symptoms, but first, some information. Norberta tried to storm the castle again, yet she stopped for some reason. I have told everyone involved that it was to be kept a secret and now everyone knows again. And, in the third thing that is terribly cliché, you were given tons of sweets again. I decided to post a list of things you are able to eat so that you aren't tortured by the concept of having to consume vast amounts of food you can't digest. So far, most of the things that you have received are candies usually meant for vampires and a muggle food I am heard is called jerky." When he said this, he brought out a package. "And I am dying to try one, so I decided to buy some myself." Then he put the package on his desk and left it alone. "I will be delivering the gifts to you after Severus has personally checked each item for unsolicited potions, poisons, and curses, as I am sure you are glad we are doing this time."

Harry nodded at this. Last time he ate something from a fan without testing it first, his tongue swelled up to the size of a balloon. After he recovered from that, he ate a chocolate frog that was dosed with a love potion. He had kissed a girl he hadn't even met from Gryffindor just before the love potion's effects wore off. He was particularly furious about that one at the time because he would have been happy to pursue the relationship if she had only asked, given the knowledge that he had at the time, but she insisted to not allow him to choose. Now he was extremely thankful that that had happened, since he likely would have never met Luna. Unfortunately, Harry couldn't remember a single thing he did under the potion, but only an hour passed by and he hadn't even hit puberty yet, so it was not like he had lost his virginity or anything.

Luna asked, "Anything else?"

"No."

"Very well. His symptoms are; basically a full-body ache. His bones, muscles, ligaments, joints, and head all hurt. Even his teeth hurt. He can't use his mouth because of how much it hurts, which is why I am talking. The mouth pain began when he yawned and his jaw cracked like his finger would, except in the middle. He has been pissing the venom out now and Snape has been able to separate the venom from the urine and collect it. Also, he has a fever."

She said this as Harry was shivering and sweating. Dumbledore spoke, "Very well. Is there anything you two wish to ask?"

Harry then asked, much to his own suffering, "Wait, why is it that Lockhart isn't here? He should be here." He then grabbed his jaw in pain.

Dumbledore spoke now, "I didn't want to worry you with this, but it seems we can't keep things from you. Lockhart went missing last night. We don't know how."

Luna spoke now, "Do you have any theories on what happened?"

"No. He just entered his office and completely disappeared. No other signs. I know I don't need to tell you this, but be careful. If Lockhart can be taken down without any trace, not even signs of a struggle, there is someone out there that is very good at exploiting weakness. I made sure to set up extra wards around the castle to the extent of hindering communication and travel, but you still need to be careful. I recommend sleeping with your various Bondmates in the same room."

"We do that anyway." Luna said. "Is there anything else, Dumbledore?"

"Yes, what are you experiencing from all of this? I heard that you receive minor physical affects whenever Harry is going through something."

"Well, I'm getting some brief shivers here and there. I feel somewhat weak as well, but I haven't felt any pain, just a minor fever."

"Alright, I want you and him to rest for a few days until all signs of disease are gone completely. If anything changes for the worse, I want to know. In the mean-time, until you get better, your teachers will give you all of the material you two need to continue learning at the end of every day, just like at the beginning of the year for you two."

And that's how the next few days went. By the time Harry's symptoms were over, nothing had changed and both of them were doing alright. They moved through the year in a cloud of controversy, as expected. Many of the Slytherins were spreading rumors that Harry was going to lead a second attack against the school, using all of his Bondmates to carry out the attack. (It sounded pretty plausible, after all, who's bonded to a dragon these days?) Draco stood up for them in most of these cases, much to the dislike of many of his Slytherin peers.

Luna eventually became comfortable with visitors being in their common room on regular bases. As a result, many of their friends were able to do homework in their common room. Luna was asked to tell what actually happened in the Chamber of Secrets, but she refused. Harry couldn't talk that much because, of all of the things, his jaw still hurt. Towards the end of the year he also couldn't eat tough food because his teeth began to hurt even worse than it had, so he resigned to drinking blood, which he had been hooked on ever since he sucked his first blood-flavored lollipop. Cow's blood seems to suit him best, and the only con to having a blood diet is that he had the worst diarrhea ever. He also had itches all over his body, especially his hair and back, and his nails and eyes had a dull ache all year.

By the end of the year, Norberta was big enough for two people to ride all the way to Luna's house, which is exactly what Harry and Luna did, though they did fly alongside in their shadow forms for quite some time because Norberta got tired. They did pay a visit to the Hogwarts express. They entered the train in their shadow forms to say 'hi' to their friends. Harry and Luna could feel the awe of most of the train. The only people that were frightened of Norberta were first years who didn't experience the dragon last time and weren't bonded to them. By now her roar was loud and ear-piercing, yet extremely deep, (the female dragons are more masculine than the male ones). It made Harry and Luna want to howl to the stars every time she roared.

Luna's pet name for Harry (Furry Potter) was revealed to his friends in the compartment by accident (Draco, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny) when Harry howled like a full blown wolf for this reason. They were surprised and had a laugh when they heard it, then Luna explained to them under oath of secrecy why Harry had that nickname. After that, everyone was impressed and most of them even wanted to be a werewolf, (namely Draco, Ron, Neville, and Ginny). Hermione didn't want to be a werewolf because she would have to eat raw meat for the rest of her life and she cared about the animals involved. So, Harry and Luna invited them to the Lovegood house so that they could get all four of the others bitten in one day. Ever since that forced transformation after the dueling club, Harry always carried a large bottle of dittany infused with silver to seal any bites or scratches he may cause. Later they discovered that Xenophilius wanted to become a werewolf as well. (Hey, the guy's a pretty radical guy, you could hardly blame him.) So, Harry mailed a merchant at Diagon Alley for another bottle of dittany infused with silver, since Xenophilius' wound would empty the one he currently had.

When he got to the Lovegood's house, he noticed some very strange things occur to his body.


	12. Mutations, Visitors, The Hotel

**"** **We need to make America great again!"**

 **"** **I sense….a disturbance."**

 **"** **I find your disturbance….disturbing."**

 **"** **That gave me cancer."**

 **"** **It should."**

[Text as found written in Harry's first journal. This journal entry was found hidden in a hollowed-out copy of 'The Monster Book of Monsters', which was buried beside a bench of roots near the Lovegood home. The original copy now rests in Harry's and Luna's personal library.]

Just in case I die from this thing, I'm writing down what happened.

 **Day One of Mutation:**

OK, this is weird. Duh, I'm mutating, but it's pretty freaking weird for a mutation. Trust me, I know. So, we need some context. This last school year I was injected with venom from a basilisk that wasn't exactly basilisk venom, yet I was somehow immune to it. Luna tells me that the poison could be different because Caroline (the basilisk) is a naturally born basilisk, which basically means two of those things had lived long enough to do it, (personally, I think that that's amazing). Luna also tells me that I could be immune because I am a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin. For some reason, everyone who can speak parseltongue from birth smells a certain way to snakes, which could mean that I'm not entirely human, (no surprise there) which explains why this specific weird thing is going on with me.

So, I was injected by the poison and was immune to the bite. It flushed out of my urinary track (which hurt a lot) and eventually faded from my memory. However, it has had certain effects on my body that have increased in intensity until, just now, weird things are happening. Just today I woke up with intense pain behind my eyes. Well, more intense than usual (werewolves are sensitive to light). I checked my eyes in a mirror like I do every day and, lo and behold, my eyes are now slitted. I should have known something was going on, since I had an unnaturally large vertical field of vision. The green in my irises are now extremely intense and there's one other thing.

I now have three lids on each eye. The first that closes is clear, the second is cloudy, and the third is my regular lid. After a while, the pain died down completely, which was surprising since I had felt pain there for a while now. I think things are going to be OK, but I don't know if the mutation will mess with something vital, so I might as well record this. So far, the Lovegoods (especially Luna) find this new appearance to my eyes enjoyable and tell me not to worry, but Dudley finds it slightly unsettling.

 **Day Two of Mutation:**

OK, now things are getting freaky. I woke up this morning to find that my scalp and back itched like crazy, so I got into the river and washed, only to find that a stripe of hair, from the base of my neck to my forehead, had begun to shed hair until it went completely bald. Also, skin on my spine, from the base of my neck to the base of my spine, had begun pealing to reveal smooth forest-green scales. Once all of the skin peeled, the scales meshed with the skin as if it were completely natural. By the end of the day, the bald spot began to show some scarlet red hair. I also noticed as I bathed that the cold makes me tired rather than wakes me up, and the warmth wakes me up rather than makes me tired. I'm starting to notice a reptilian pattern here.

 **Day three of Mutation:**

In the morning the red hair had grown in. Luna loves it, and so does Xenophilius. Dudley is getting used to it. The mutations don't seem to be harming me, which is good because they have complete control over my body. This morning, I woke up to a very strange sensation in my mouth. I looked into a mirror and saw that my tongue was peeling off several layers of tissue. Well, if I didn't do it, my next meal would, so I obediently tore off as much tissue as possible, which was made much easier by the fact that my tongue can extend pretty far now. Eventually I tore off all of the tissue to reveal a long, black, and forked tongue. I also found that it fit perfectly into two holes that had formed in the roof of my mouth overnight and functions as a second, much more powerful nose. This thing extends about an inch further than my first one!

Luna would have explored kissing with that tongue if my teeth didn't begin to hurt like hell. By the end of the day, half of my teeth had fallen out with their roots still intact, and others were threatening to.

 **Day four of Mutation:**

As I had expected, the rest of my teeth fell out overnight. However, I didn't wake up without any teeth. I woke up with a full set of triangular teeth. Where my canines once were, there are now two teeth that were bigger than the others. Also, I found out that I have no gag reflex and my jaw can dislocate in the middle, allowing me to open my mouth to extreme proportions.

Since the mutations appear to be snake-like in nature, and seem to have somehow been caused by my exposure to Caroline's venom, Luna and I both agree that I need to test these mutations out for poison and how they will incorporate themselves on my wolf form, if at all.

OK, now I've done the tests and have found this out. I bit a rabbit while in human form. It died seconds later. My teeth do have poison. In wolf form, my teeth and claws have poison, my eyes are still slit, and a long stripe of red hair goes from nose to tail tip. Luna finds the whole thing very attractive, to my relief, and all of my pain is now gone, hopefully for good.

[End of Journal]

Harry had just finished writing the last of his journal and put it down as Luna ambushed him with a hug.

"You know, I think you _do_ smell different from other humans, Furry." Luna said, taking a deep breath of Harry's neck, feeling his bite scar, as well as his scaly spine. She then sat next to him on a bench of roots next to the river, holding his hand. Norberta was to their left, head and neck arching over, looking into the thin, slow, and deep river, hunting for fish. There were tall trees hanging over the river, and you could occasionally see a small leaf or twig fall into the river and slowly follow the current to their right. Dudley was under Norberta's wing, making a red flower turn purple and become much bigger. The overhanging trees gave the river and surrounding banks a green tint.

An owl arrived carrying a glass of dittany infused with silver. To check if it was real, Harry bit his arm without injecting venom, and then put a few drops of the solution on the wound. It sealed up almost immediately. The owl had already flown off because he had mailed the order with money, which was the only way they accept it. Norberta slammed her head into the water, thinking "I got one!" even though the others had never seen what Norberta caught because she swallowed it the moment she caught it. Cuddles slithered from the ground to rest on Harry and Luna's shoulders, saying

"Hello, you two."

"Hello." Harry and Luna said simultaneously, taking in everything around them and within themselves. Everything resounded as peaceful and calm. Then, they heard a 'SNAP!' from in front of Xenophilius' home, signaling the warp of space/time necessary to apparate. Harry and Luna guessed that they were there for Xenophilius and ignored it, but Dudley got up to see who it was and walked off. Harry trained his ears to hear what was being said at the house. He could hear three heartbeats other than Xenophilius' unusually slow one. There, he heard this conversation.

A man said, "Hello, are you Xenophilius?"

"Yes. Why are you here? Who are you?"

"We are here because certain spells we have placed here tell us of the presence of a basilisk."

"Well, I don't have a basilisk, but as long as you do not break anything you may search my house and the surrounding premises. That symbol….Why would the Department of Mysteries be investigating something that is obviously within the jurisdiction of whoever deals with magical creatures these days?"

Harry heard a beeping noise, a second man said, "Sir, we're picking something up." Harry turned around to look at the men through the trees. They were turning and walking in their direction. They walked past Dudley, intent on the device that one of them was holding. It seemed to be a metal box with an antennae sticking out of it. The tip of the antennae lit up whenever they pointed it in his direction. They got their wands out. Harry stood and drew his own and hid it behind him as he grasped his hands together behind his back. Luna did the same, sensing the danger. Norberta decided to stay put, preparing to ambush the men if things came down to it. Xenophilius was following the men. Harry felt their minds. They closed off everything except the device's readings and a general feeling of impending doom. He couldn't bond with them because right now their world was dark and evil. Harry and Luna strode towards them.

As they got closer, Harry heard the device beep faster and their hearts race with it. Was he the basilisk? That would certainly make sense. The men stopped as the device flat lined just ten feet away from Harry. They looked ahead and didn't see what they expected to see, just a small child with a funny haircut accompanied by a girl with almost-white blonde hair that went down to her waist and dressed in a simple yet elegant white silk dress. Then, when Harry got closer, they realized what the device was flat-lining for. They looked at Harry with round and terrified eyes, fixated on his slitted ones. Then one of them pointed their wand and Harry's eyes flashed in brilliant pain. Harry fell to the floor just before a killing curse was projected from the man's wand and passed through the spot where Harry's head once was. Harry shielded himself in electricity, anticipating another attempt on his life, but the man was already dead. All three of them were.

The men lay on the ground, twitching violently as if experiencing seizures, grey fluid (later confirmed to be liquefied brain) and blood was pouring out of their noses while blood and chunks of lung spewed out of their mouths, in sync with their now irregular and violent heartbeats. Luna threw up and Harry would have if he had a gag reflex, despite their past experience with gore, because of the smell. It smelled to anyone who hadn't already encountered liquefied brain most like a toxic-smelling mix of prune juice and vomit. Xenophilius didn't have any reaction to the smell (Snorting various powders to heighten mental awareness and magical ability was something he experimented with as a teen, effectively killing his sense of smell and making him inadequate at hunting in wolf form), but the gore made him throw up anyway.

Harry thought to Luna as she convulsed, "Do you think we should dissect their bodies so that we know what happened to their organs?" He got no thoughts from her, only a general feeling of disgust. "Guess not." Then he used a modified version of 'scourgify' to make their bodies and respective gore cease existing. Dudley was mentally scarred from the event, to the point of insanity in fact, but Luna repaired his mind by erasing his memory of it and then simply told him what happened without mentioning the gore or the smell. Finally, when Xenophilius and Dudley were calm, Harry, Luna, and Norberta explained what Happened to the men and Harry. They accepted it and then Harry began experimenting with his eyes. Luna wasn't particularly upset about the men dying. In fact, she was glad they died; they had tried to kill Harry after all. She was upset about how they died, though.

The tests revealed that Harry had to try very hard to kill with his eyes unless his life was threatened. If he closed his first set of eyelids, it only paralyzes the target. If the first and second eyelids closed, then the target simply feints momentarily. And if all of his lids are closed, then nothing happens. Also, Luna is immune to his gaze. During the tests, Harry didn't feel any more pain when the gaze activated, but he did feel particular warmth around his eyes, as well as a noticeable drain on his life energy. Anyway, no one showed up after that, strangely.

-oOoOo-

The days passed by and It eventually became time to go to Diagon Alley to get their school things. They left just after dinner time by apparition and got their money from Gringotts quickly. Just as they were leaving, Harry heard a distinct beeping sound coming from outside and went outside to see what it was. He looked in horror when he found dozens of agents from the Department of Mysteries entering Diagon Ally, searching their minds didn't reassure him, as he found out that they knew they were looking for a human boy, though they were unsure of what he looked like. They had orders to kill him on sight.

Luckily, they hadn't made it all the way to the bank, so Harry and Luna slipped the invisibility cloak on and the beeping from the devices stopped immediately. Luna explained the situation to Xenophilius with her mind. He was very worried but acted normal, heading back to the Leaky Caldron. All of the agents looked infuriated and extremely scared. They all seemed overly paranoid of everyone around them. Harry and Luna went to Knockturn Alley in order to avoid the devices somehow. Luckily, they didn't bump into anyone until the very end. A man grabbed Luna's shoulder while she was under the cloak. Harry closed his first two eyelids.

"Wow. You two seem to be in a rush away from those Department of Mysteries blokes. Care to explain why?"

"Why do you want to know?" Luna asked calmly.

"Depending on the circumstances, I could help you. I own a hotel nearby for the lost and unfortunate. We are especially suited to housing creatures of near-human intelligence as well as almost-humans, especially those that would otherwise be harmful to society. We are pretty rich so we don't need payment, but we do need labor. Now, why are they chasing after you?"

Despite Luna's warning, Harry said, "I'm some sort of mutant thing and they want to kill me. I accidentally killed three of their men."

The man grunted, smiling, "Yes, good, and why are you here, miss?"

"His fate is tied to my own. I am a veela that has been bound to him."

"Indeed. Follow me." The man said, striding off. They followed. "My name is Tiberius Woodrift. My wife's name is Aurora. Our hotel contains several not-entirely-human individuals. We have two married vampires, a werewolf that's leaving this September, and a runaway dementor. We also own a book shop next to the hotel on various non-human beings, many of them rare. Tell me, what are you exactly?"

Harry answered, "I seem to demonstrate snake-like qualities. I suspect that I am part human, part basilisk."

"That would explain the red stripe, I suppose. Male basilisks have the same thing"

"How can you see us under the cloak?" Luna asked.

"It's a gift some wizards have, to see past illusions that affect the eyes. It has helped me out quite a bit in the past. Are you two interested in soul magic?"

Luna asked, "How did you know we would be?"

"The bonds you two share are much more powerful than the average Marriage Bond, to the extent of sharing all of the bonds that you two form, which means that either one or both of you have significant knowledge in the field. I also sense that you two share several hundred soul bonds with others, most of them rare creatures or powerful magicians. I figured that you two would want to continue your education in the field."

"Yes, of course we would." They said together. Tiberius looked at them in humor.

"Oh, yes. Definitely Soul Magic. Anyway, my mutant friends, do you have any mealtime preferences?"

Luna spoke as Harry became distracted by a strange-looking bird that was looking at them through a window. "Um, yes. I prefer raw and unbled meat and am basically a carnivore. Harry is the same, but he can also eat live mammals whole as well as drink blood for sustenance if it came to it."

"Drink blood, did you say? Do you guys have anything other than basilisk in you? And, since you are veela, shouldn't you be particular towards desserts?"

"Well, Harry and I are both werewolves but we are able to control our lycanthropy, and Harry had just begun to develop his more snaky qualities this summer. "

"Really? Werewolves able to control their curse. I've heard of werewolves all around the world attacking humans when it wasn't the full moon recently. Something about a miracle cure that makes wolf and man become one in the mind. Those infected seem to be able to control it as well. Many are beginning to consider Lycanthropy a gift now, as the attacks seem to be targeting officials and other important people. The political arena has been shifting in favor of werewolves recently, though there are great conflicts among the people recently. There are still some absolutely terrified of werewolves. Unfortunately our other guest hasn't gained the ability to control his wolf form. Have you found out how to help him?"

"Well, I was the one that came up with the method that did this."

He chuckled, "This just gets better and better."

-oOoOo-

The hotel looked dark and dreary from the outside, but not run down. It was neat and clean, although the plants were dying out a little, everything else was fine. Harry repaired the plants without letting Tiberius know. They went inside and saw an empty lobby. It was very dark, yet finely upholstered, as if the common inhabitants didn't like sunlight yet still enjoyed creature comforts. The primary colors of the room were deep blue and forest green. It was cold, which made Harry very drowsy. Luna sensed Harry's drowsiness and held him close, trying to warm him. Harry appreciated this.

"Well, you two are cozy." A woman said from the kitchen, looking through a massive rectangular hole in the wall, the bottom of which had a table attached to it so that she could serve people meals.

Tiberius said, "Hello, Aurora."

"Hello, dear," she said. They hugged through the hole in the wall. The layout of the room was fairly basic. There was a fireplace to the left, opposite the hole in the wall, and a big couch facing it. There were a few islands of chairs and couches, the biggest being centered on the fireplace. There was a fire blazing and three people around it, eating something. Apparently they were having dinner. Actually, two of them weren't eating, but drinking. The one that was eating was eating violently. The other two were far from the eater.

Harry and Luna walked up to them. Harry sat next to the eating man and Luna sat on Harry's other side. The man was obviously a werewolf because what he was eating was a bloody steak. The man across from them that was drinking something red with a woman spoke,

"That is Remus Lupin. He's a werewolf. What are you?"

Harry spoke, "I happen to be a werewolf as well, but I am also part basilisk. Luna is a werewolf."

The woman spoke now, "How unique. What is your name?"

Harry thought to himself 'well, their minds don't seem hostile. Might as well,' then said, "My name is Harry Potter. This is Luna Lovegood."

Suddenly, Lupin stopped eating his steak for a moment when Harry said his name. Then he resumed eating. The drinking couple seemed highly interested in them now. The man said, "A pleasure to meet you, Harry. My name is Nikolai Dracula, and this is my wife, Isabella."

"Wait….Do you mean count-"

"No, that was my uncle. I am just Dracula." Now it became apparent to Harry that the red liquid they were drinking was blood.

"Hmm. Where did you get that blood?" Harry asked, now suddenly hungry.

"Over there." He said pointing at the hole in the wall. There were two pitchers; one with water and one with blood. Harry looked around as Aurora gave Harry and Luna a steak each.

"Eat up." She said, smiling at them.

Harry said, "I want to thank both you and Tiberius for everything you two are doing here."

"Well, thank you, dear." She said, smiling more broadly. Harry noticed a few bond threads form between them of their own accord. Harry pushed things a little further and, within seconds, a pretty solid bond had formed between them. Harry also got Tiberius, who noticed what was going on but didn't say anything about it. The Draculas seemed to have thick barriers around their minds, so Harry was unsuccessful in bonding with them. Lupin, however, was far more open to a soul bond than most people he had met, so it was only seconds before Harry could think into his mind.

 _"_ _You seem particularly open to a Soul Bond. Why is that?"_

After a moment of silent calculation, he gave an emotionless answer; _"_ _Are you_ the _Harry Potter?"_

Harry became slightly annoyed with the predictable line of questioning that he came across when meeting new people, but he didn't let that emotion slip through. After all, he was talking to a werewolf. Ever since curing the better half of the werewolf community, as well as becoming a werewolf himself, Harry was surprised they hadn't made him their king, or Alpha, or whatever you call a ruler of all werewolves, and wouldn't blame them either. He did just give them freedom from their curse. Hell, he would have thoroughly enjoyed the attention if it weren't for the fact that it was Luna who had discovered the curse in the first place, but he didn't complain for a very specific reason. It just so happens that, in the case of the male Alphas, they were essentially made the Alphas that they are by their spouses. Despite (and possibly because of) the relationship an Alpha's spouse has with the Alpha, much of the decisions made by the Alphas at meetings are usually rough quotes from their spouses. It's a rather amusing exchange that goes on. The bigger, tougher, male Alphas get the credit for their spouse's superior knowledge, and their spouses gain political power in turn (as well as some prestige amongst the other spouses). So, in the end, saying anything would simply disrupt this almost mechanical agreement between Alpha and spouse (as well as most of the couples in the werewolf community) which is not something that Harry wanted to do.

Anyway, Harry simply replied to the question with, "Yes."

"I was told to keep an eye on you at school."

"By who?"

"Dumbledore. I am Remus Lupin. Have you read my book yet?" He said, probably oblivious to the fact that Dracula had already introduced them, given that he was eating at the time.

"Yes, it was enlightening. Did you just say that Dumbledore asked you to keep an eye on me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because there is a killer on the loose, and we suspect that you are his next target. He escaped from Azkaban just after spending nights whispering 'he's at Hogwarts' over and over again in his sleep."

Luna's mind exploded with worry and Harry sensed the room become hotter as her inner fire kicked in. Harry sent her calm feelings, not wanting the building to burn down and using the energy surges coming off of her to feed her more romantic side rather than her angry side. It wouldn't do to attract the attention of the department of mysteries with a fire.

Harry said, "Well, that's a very dangerous thing for him to do."

Lupin looked curious, "I don't understand. He's a very powerful dark wizard. Last thing he did before going to Azkaban is killing thirteen people and vaporizing another. How, other than the obvious, is it dangerous for him if he tried to kill you?"

"My more snaky qualities allow me to kill anyone I look at." Lupin briefly glanced at his eyes for a second and then jumped as he realized the mistake he made, though he didn't drop dead. Harry laughed a little, "No, I have to want to kill you for that to work." Lupin looked vastly relieved. Luna, distracted from her paranoid mental search around the room by this, giggled happily, leaning on Harry now. Then, in a thought to Harry, Luna said,

 _"_ _For a second I felt a life form unlike anything I have sensed."_

 _"_ _Perhaps you felt the dementor that Tiberius was talking about."_

 _"_ _Do you want to ask about it?"_

Harry then asked Lupin, "Hey, what's a dementor?"

Lupin replied simply, "A dementor is a very dark creature that siphons the happiness out of people. It is one of the foulest creatures you can encounter in the wizarding world. I heard that Tiberius was housing one here. Is that true?"

Tiberius interrupted, "Yes, that is true, and don't call them foul. Dementors are terribly misunderstood creatures. The dementor upstairs is here because it is running away from the Ministry, just like Harry. She is on the run for refusing to give the dementor's kiss to someone she sensed was innocent."

Lupin then said, "Well, if they're so good and everything, then why isn't she down here with us?"

"Because she can only hold her aura in for so long."

Dracula then became very interested, "Wait, what aura?"

Tiberius said, "All dementors are able to siphon the happiness out of those around them. This is how they stay alive. Rather than killing and eating something, they take away their happy feelings for the time being. They do this through a mental aura that is focused around their bodies. They can also force a soul to depart from its body, like the killing curse, but that does nothing for them personally."

"Interesting, are they able to use this aura to take away bad things?"

"Yes, but that starves them."

"But still, why don't they do that more often?"

Tiberius continued darkly, whispering every word laced with pain and anger. "Would you help someone who persecuted you? Trapped you inside of a prison surrounded by criminals with corrupted minds whose only happy feelings are that of torture, murder, or even worse? I think not."

The room was silent for a moment. Then, when Tiberius realized that no one would speak, Tiberius began to make a speech. "They are born in that prison. As children they know only the twisted thoughts of others against the innocent thoughts of the dementors around them. They know only the pain they must suffer to stay alive. Most of them have never experienced a significant sense of Love. They have never had peace. This young dementor above us has only just felt a proper sense of happiness ever since running away from Azkaban. Theirs is an eternal darkness." A single tear fell on the floor. It didn't come from Tiberius. Harry's heart ached for the dementor. For all dementors. Luna's did, too. Harry got up and said,

"Where is the dementor now, Tiberius?"

The man stopped for a second, giving Harry a questioning look, then grunted and nodded, saying, "This way. Do not go inside." Then he walked towards some stairs to the left of the hole in the wall at the corner. They went up to the third out of three floors in the building. As they walked through the door that let them into the floor, all of the rooms were to the left. Each floor had five rooms, allowing for a total of ten hotel rooms. They went all the way to the end of the floor. As they got closer, the air became colder and more humid. Harry saw unseasonal frost on the windows to his right that were in front of every door. Then there was that sinking feeling. It felt terrible, as if he would never be happy again. But Luna, who felt Harry feel this, fought back this feeling with her own. Soon, Norberta joined in and Harry was no longer affected by the depression that came about when the dementor fed off of his happiness.

Tiberius eventually stopped one door from the very last door of the hall. "You would do good to try to bond with it. I know I've tried, but its mind is so twisted that I can only master feelings with her. However, don't go any closer to that room. If you do, the dementor could go into a feeding frenzy, which wouldn't be good for you. It has been starving itself for days, probably longer. Try not to attract too much attention to yourself." Then, Tiberius took a few steps back and sat just a few doors away, wand at the ready. Luna thought to him from the living room below,

 _"_ _You had better not take any risks, Harry. Do what you can, but do not give up your life trying to save one dementor."_

 _"_ _I know, my love. I wouldn't leave you unless it was necessary."_

 _"_ _You better not."_ This last thought was laced with small amounts of humor, but Harry could still detect some anxiety behind it all. Harry obeyed, only allowing his mental presence in the dementor's room to be minor. Minutes passed and a very minor bond had formed. Harry was now capable of exchanging feelings with the dementor. At least he thought it would work that way with his experience, but he didn't dare test it out as that could have triggered the dementor's feeding instincts. The dementor only knew of the bond's existence at an unconscious level, any pushing to form the bond any way but naturally would result in the dementor feeling the bond form, which wouldn't be good at all.

So, Harry let quite a few more minutes pass, and now he had spent an hour to bond. He had successfully enabled thoughts to be shared between them, and the passage of feeling would have come automatically if they were strong enough. It just so happens that the dementor felt depression very strongly at that moment, and was thinking to herself.

 _"…_ _.hungry…..thirsty….pure life outside….no hate….must-No, I mustn't. I must stay in this room. The kind man will give me things to feed on soon. I don't need humans. Soon I will be strong enough to leave…."_

The dementor paused for a very long minute, then _"_ _What is that I feel? Are you another dementor? Is somebody there?"_ Another pause as Harry emptied his mind of all thoughts and feelings. _"_ _Never mind, that was probably just that girl downstairs again. It did feel like her."_ Harry kept his mind empty. This was now a very delicate point in the bonding process. He had to weave the bonds himself to add on another effect; a powerful instinct that Harry was a friend. How the dementor's day and possibly rest of her life went all hinged on whether or not Harry did this right. Harry felt slightly on edge because the last time he attempted this was almost two years ago with Fluffy; the big three headed dog that used to guard the third floor dungeons.

Then seconds later he weaved a classic weave into the bond, completing what he came there to do. He could now speak directly to the dementor without fear of harm. Then suddenly, Harry felt something…. _moving_ , for loss of a better term. Something in the bond was moving. It was moving where? He didn't know. What could it possibly be? He didn't know that either. He tentatively let his neutral feelings towards the other side of the bond, aiming to let her know that the bond had formed and that Harry was there. Half way across, Harry sensed something…. _crawling_ towards him along the bond. Like a spider down a web towards its prey.

A brief moment's fear and surprise was more than enough to let the dementor, who was the one moving towards him down the bond, know that there was, in fact, someone within range of her aura. As the dementor's deep instincts (which were far deeper than those instincts Harry had planted) took hold of her, Harry experienced a brain-splitting mental spike entering his mind. It was so strong that he was completely immobilized. As Harry fell face first onto the floor, he could feel every last thing that the dementor was currently thinking and feeling. He was faintly aware that he had broken his nose, or at least bruised it.

She was enshrouded with this intense _Hunger_. There was nothing happening in her mind that wasn't saturated in it. A desperate need to feel _something. Anything good._ This need drove her to extremes. Harry had barely hit the floor when he already felt the others of his bonds grow weak and collapse as well. Harry closed off his mind to the others, who recoiled from the pain and gladly let the bonds close for now. He sensed two foreign minds attack the dementor viciously, which surprisingly slowed it down. His vision was fading to black and he was shaking violently. He could hear a distant screaming. A screaming for….he didn't know. He couldn't think. Then…light….and….

-oOoOo-

Harry was aware, long before he had completely awoken, of a deeply ingrained sense of emptiness. He felt the others trying to wipe its black, ink-like contents from his mind. They tried everything, but it just wouldn't be removed as quickly as they would have liked. It was fading, though. Harry felt it work best with Luna's, Norberta's, and Caroline's love. He drifted into awareness, feeling like someone who was being washed ashore by a high tide. The feeling seeped into his bones and muscles, and so, Harry noticed, did warmth. This is when he realized that he was extremely cold, as if he had fallen through the ice of a frozen lake and had been rescued.

However, above all, the emptiness demanded attention. Despite all of the good things that were currently happening to him (the warmth, the love, the safety) Harry felt an absence of need for these things. An absence of a want for them, too. Though, he supposed that want and need were now the same, but didn't care if they were. He largely didn't care about anything right now. It had been a long time since he last felt like this. He wanted to shrug off this feeling of purposelessness. As soon as he wanted it gone, his mind opened to Luna, Norberta and Caroline when he didn't even know that he had closed himself off from them. As soon as his mind opened, the love from them blasted him, which caused his patronus armor to temporarily blind those around him for a few seconds.

As Harry opened his eyes, Luna smiled above him, squeezing his arm. Harry smiled back and his tongue flitted out of his mouth automatically, and he recognized the tastes of Luna, Tiberius, and the Draculas. Lupin was not there. His taste was….stale, Harry guessed. At least, the taste was….greyer than normal. Less sweet, he supposed. It was replaced by the smell of a more wolf-like creature. There was also something else there. It smelled….damp, maybe. Like fog. It came with a second smell that was so unlike any other smell he had ever smelled that it opened up a completely new dimension of smell to him. It was nothing like he had ever smelled. It was a good smell, but….implied a bad one. It gave him a feeling of freedom and relief, as if he had been thirsting for something only to be quenched. He felt this every time he bit into a meal no matter how much he had already eaten, but this feeling had a very different texture. He couldn't describe it.

Harry was on a living room couch in front of the fire. He sat up and looked around the room as Luna sat to his left, holding his hand. The Draculas were sitting in a loveseat next to the fire, appearing to be asleep, Isabella leaning on Nicolai. Tiberius was across from them to the right of Harry on a rocking chair, looking at him with concern. Luna spoke as soon as she sat down,

"I am glad you are OK, Harry," Luna whispered, anxiety leaving her in the same way darkness leaves in the presence of light. A few seconds passed, then Tiberius spoke,

"I have never seen anyone affected by the dementors so."

Harry asked, "Why was I affected so badly?"

"Likely because you have felt extremely happy in your past. That's probably also why it went over the edge when she sensed your presence."

"That makes sense. But, how is it that you didn't have the same effect on it?"

"You seem to have become used to being open to every mind around you. When it comes to those that want to harm you, this openness can become dangerous."

Harry laughed a little at this, rejuvenated by his bondmate's support. "Yeah, I can tell." Harry sat up, smiling a little, and then realized what the unrecognizable smell was coming from. In the corner of the room, the dementor was hovering, looking at him. It was small, as if it was a seven-year-old child. Though Harry became, for the briefest moment, almost terrified, his direct connection with Luna and Norberta drowned the feeling within the vast calmness of the other two. No emotion or cold temperature came off of it from its aura. Its mind state seemed almost normal. It seemed docile for the time being, so Harry hesitantly reestablished a mental connection.

Now that Harry was able to behold its entire mind…no, _her_ entire mind…he realized how much of her mind he was closed off to before. It was a whirlwind of activity with several senses that were different; sight, taste, and smell being the most noticeable. With such an open and active mind, the strange senses made it almost impossible for him to map, or even recognize, her memories. The only indicator of time Harry could pinpoint were the memories that had been severely deteriorated (clues of a younger, less complex mind) and he could only do that with a tenth of the memories there. The senses were very different from human sense. It appears that dementors saw using a mix of sonar and thermal vision, using a membrane that covered their entire face except the layer of skin above the nose. They smelled through that membrane and it was a lot more powerful than most humans, though was half as powerful as Harry's. (Although, Harry was only 1/5 human.) Its ears acted to magnify the power of the dementor's sonar vision.

The very first feeling that hit Harry was a mix of regret and relief. That very second, a voice that was very much like a human female's resounded through his mind and reached every corner, though was only a whisper. _"_ _I am so sorry."_

 _"_ _You don't need to be."_

 _…_ _._

 _"_ _Hello. You already know who I am. Who are you?"_

 _"_ _...My…My name is Lucy. Did I hurt you?"_

 _"_ _It'll take a hell of a lot more than that to hurt me, Lucy. You don't need to worry."_

Lucy seemed slightly relieved by this, and then asked, _"_ _Why are you so kind?"_

 _"_ _Because, despite our apparent differences, all we want in the end is the same. We both seek true happiness. The difference between you and me is that you need it to survive. That makes you someone who could be one of my best friends. I can give it to you, Lucy. I can cure you. You don't need to seek it anymore."_

If Lucy had a heart, it would have fluttered with hope. She answered in a calm voice, _"_ _How?"_

 _"_ _I don't know. I remember reading about giving dementors a source of happiness that never ends, but I don't remember what book it was or how exactly it said to do it. I'm sure that I can find it once I'm back at Hogwarts. Will you come to Hogwarts with me?"_

 _"_ _No. They will find me at Hogwarts. Serious Black has escaped because of me. Now he is hunting you and you need to be protected by both Dumbledore and the Ministry. That means that they will likely station some of my sisters at Hogwarts for patrols."_

 _"_ _Sisters?"_

 _"_ _The other dementors. All of us are female."_

 _"_ _Why is that?"_

 _"_ _Once we acquire enough good emotions, we reproduce by emanating a fog, which then coagulates around extreme feelings of happiness in near pitch-black conditions into a couple of dementors. I hear it is quite an experience, but there hasn't been a fogging in a very long time. The oldest of us, Aerialla, gave birth to us a long time in the past, but the fog had formed me three years ago in a dessert."_

 _"_ _Strange. Anyway, how long do you think you could last holding in your aura?"_

 _"_ _At least a couple of weeks."_

 _"_ _If a ministry member spotted you among other dementors, would they recognize you?"_

 _"_ _We all look the same, Harry."_

 _"_ _Right. Would your sisters turn you in to the ministry?"_

Her mood darkened, _"_ _Our loyalties only go as far as their control over us."_

 _"_ _Good, then why don't you come with Luna and me onto the train under our invisibility cloak and get to Hogwarts, where we could work on a way to somehow help with your lack of happiness."_

 _"…_ _.Well…"_ Here Lucy paused, thinking, _"_ _Yes, I think I should. It's better than my idea."_

 _"_ _What is your idea, anyway?"_

 _"_ _Fly into the wilderness and live alone, feeding on animals, hoping that I don't get discovered by the ministry."_

 _"_ _Well, I don't think there is a true wilderness anywhere near here. The closest you are going to get to uninhabited land is the forbidden forest. A vast majority of it remains unexplored and is home to many otherwise extinct creatures. You could live there with the others I have bonded with if you want."_

 _"_ _Of course! Harry, that's amazing!"_ Lucy didn't move that much in excitement, but she did radiate a tremendous amount of happiness. _"_ _I never have to go back to that place again!"_

 _"_ _Yeah. It's sad that the ministry won't consider that Azkaban tortures more than prisoners."_

Tiberius, unaware of the mental exchange, interrupted. "Um, Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Well, Do you hear that sound?" Just upstairs, a screaching, howling, and smashing sound was occurring just above him.

"Yes."

"That's Lupin. You passed out for several hours. Now it is the full moon and he is in his wolf form. Could you cure him?"

"Of course." Harry then proceeded to cure Lupin. For some reason, the transformation had to run its course for the night, but after that Lupin would be able to choose when to transform.

Days later, it was two weeks before the first day of school. Harry got a letter from Dumbledore at that time. It said this,

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I have received news of what has transpired this summer in relation to the Department of Mysteries. I have taken care of the problem for the time being. They have agreed to stop hunting you under the condition that you attend a hearing that will take place three days from the moment you receive this letter. The topics that will be discussed are your full experiences with and knowledge of Soul Magic, Lycanthropy, and everything in relation to Caroline and The Chamber of Secrets. They may discuss subjects related to your inhuman developments and your personal relationships with other species. I know that this could either be difficult or exciting for you to do, but understand this; if you refuse, they will capture Norberta and you and the questions they want answered will be answered anyway. I trust you will make the right decision._

 _In great compassion,_

 _Albus_

Seconds after reading the letter, Norberta said that an agent of the Department of Mysteries had showed up at the Lovegoods to make an official apology concerning "The unfortunate events that had occurred between my department, your family, and the Potter family." Through Xenophilius' eyes, he witnessed the agent give Xenophilius a letter explaining what Dumbledore's letter had explained and Harry said that it was unnecessary to send it via owl.

-oOoOo-

Lucy's radiating happiness had cost her a lot and she had to recover in some way. Luna and Harry stayed connected at the mind, as always, and reached out from the boundaries of their own minds to touch the lives of those around them. In the end, Lucy was able to sustain herself on them alone, and neither of them could feel the loss. Lucy was growing fast, as if her growth had been stunted and now she was being fed correctly again. Some of her scabs were healing. She said that she was the happiest she had been in a long time, probably forever.

In the three days between receiving the letter and the hearing, the bonds between Harry and Lucy grew thick and dense. As a result, Harry began to experience strange things. One began to show itself within hours. Luna, viewing Dumbledore's letter through Harry's eyes, asked this question after recovering from the disorientation of coming back into her body,

"Hey, what's that blotch in your vision?"

"What bl-…Oh! That's weird."

"Yes it is. What is it?"

Harry looked around. It wasn't caused by his eyes because the spots were staying with the objects they were in front of. Over the next several minutes, these spots became more defined around the objects that he was looking at. It appeared to him that he was seeing thermal vision. It integrated itself well. In situations where there was a lot of light, he had to want to see thermal vision in order to see it. In conditions of total darkness, it would stay on no matter what he did. With the thermal vision, he could see through walls, but not through his second layer of eyelids. When in wolf form, it was always on, no matter what. The Draculas and himself were bluish purple, normal humans were yellowish, and Luna was glowing white (probably because of her latent connection to fire). The colors ranged from white at the hottest to purplish black at the coldest. It worked well with Shadow Magic. All he had to do is wreath an area in shadow and he was the only one that could see.

The next thing that developed was the power of levitation. He could already fly, but he couldn't cast spells while flying, so this was a bonus. He also already knew how to make other objects fly, but never as many as he could now, and he never had as much control as he now did.

Another thing that Harry could do is speak directly to Lucy. It worked just like parseltongue, and even felt similar to parseltongue. Her voice was slightly female and always a whisper, though it reached across a room and through walls as if she were standing next to you. She would get annoyed at Harry for 'yelling', which felt like talking normally to him. Some other things that came up were; he could now sense other life forms, he had more powerful shadow magic, and he became resistant (and eventually impervious) to the dementor's aura.

Harry would have continued his observations, but then the hearing demanded his full attention.

OK. I have changed some things. First off, I'm integrating the concept of realism; making it seem as if these are actual events in history that I am reporting in a narrative form. This is going to be such a fun fiction to write. Sorry for the long wait, by the way. Please comment.


	13. Hearing, Dementor Origins, The Stop

**If silence is golden, then why is duct tape silver?**

"Harry James Potter. You are attending this hearing today to discuss what seems to some to be a systemic loss of your humanity and what seems to others to be nothing more than the physical consequences of the various diseases and curses you have encountered in your endeavors with little to no impact on your core mental faculty. The purpose of this meeting is to discover and record every such change you have encountered that effects you in every way imaginable. Do you understand?"

Harry spoke loud and clear to Minister Fudge, "Yes."

Leading up to this moment, Harry, Luna, and Tiberius went to the hearing. They were led to an interrogation room where they met a full panel of what looked to Harry to be about 120 members. The moment he sat down, the chair he sat on clamped down on his arms and legs. When Harry didn't react, Fudge said to 'release the restraints' and the chair let go. Fudge then said a word of apology, some excuse of precaution, then asked the above, beginning the hearing.

"Good. You will be given a vial of veritaserum so that we may know that every word that comes out of your mouth is the entire uncorrupted truth. Every word you speak will be recorded. If you attempt to escape you will be detained. Do you understand?" He clenched his teeth at weird times and stopped his speech in strange places for no apparent reason, hinting at some deep mental issue. The entire thing reminded him of an actor by the name of Peter Stormare.

Again, Harry spoke, "Yes."

"Very well." Fudge said to Harry, and then he spoke to a gentleman in a blue cloak, "Administer the veritaserum." The man took a small vial out of his coat pocket and walked over to Harry, who willingly took and drank the vial. It had no flavor. "Good. Now the questions will begin."

Mafalda Hopkirk asked the first question. "Tell me about your connections to your dragon; Norberta."

Harry's mouth began moving immediately and of its own accord, "We share a 'Mother's Love Bond' that formed the moment I witnessed her hatch. This normally would only happen to women, who are far more accepting of bonds on a subconscious level, but I bonded because of my past endeavors in Soul Magic. By that time, I had already bonded to most of Hogwart's students, all but one of the teachers, the headmaster, Hagrid's dog, and several other creatures that are now located in the Forbidden Forest. Immediately upon bonding, I experienced a second set of instincts in my mind. It wanted to protect and love the dragon. I accepted this side and our bond became stronger over time rather than breaking down as a result."

Mafalda continued, "How were you able to acquire this egg?"

Fudge interrupted, "We already have on record the answer to that question and does not have to be answered today. Ask another question."

Mafalda asked, "We are aware that you are a werewolf. Is this true?"

"No."

"We have on record that you are a werewolf. Here-" at this point she held up a piece of parchment, "is a statement from Albus Dumbledore explaining your condition. How can you deny that you are a werewolf under veritaserum?"

"On a night of the full moon, Luna visited me in my hiding place. Just before I killed her, she tore out a part of my mind that divided the wolf and man parts of me. This enabled the mentally superior man to control the wolf, which allowed me to stop myself from killing her. Over time, wolf and man became one in my mind. This has caused many things to occur. I can now control the changes, the changes are much faster, I do not become as weak as I used to on the full moon, the full moon now only tempts me to change, my general attitude became slightly more aggressive at first, but I have a grip on it and it is back to normal, the change can be triggered by activating some form of hunting or attacking instinct, and I can now control myself in wolf form. I have tested myself with the werewolf detection spell. As the law dictates, it would turn me red for a moment. Now, it only turns me blue, telling me that I am not a werewolf."

A woman who was wearing pink under her black cloak spoke. She reminded Harry of a toad. She spoke in a voice that sounded like sugar should taste, yet the tone reminded him of poison. "Are you the one who has given the other werewolves the ability to attack us at any time?"

Harry, unable to answer any other way, said, "Yes." Many of the others looked greatly concerned about this. Fudge looked angry, but was hiding it. However, there were some there who seemed impressed and perhaps glad that Harry had done so. Harry spoke again, "However, I did not intend for this to be the case. I had no idea that this is how things would develop. To tell you the truth, I have been rather closed off from the media. Can any of you tell me what has been going on relative to werewolves?

Fudge, reserve breaking, spoke in a strangled, silently raging voice. "You bastard! My daughter was bitten three days ago! What future does she have now?!"

Harry spoke calmly, "Do not worry, Minister. Your daughter's future will be that of a normal girl since the cure carries on with the bite. She will probably only transform on her first full moon if she so wished to not change. Considering that this is effecting the public arena, I don't doubt that your daughter will be unaffected by public opinion if she does decide to be open with others on the matter, since most people will soon be a werewolf. She also has a very useful form of self defense that will stay with her till the day she dies. The only thing that I think people will find odd is her eating habits, and that will soon be remedied as well. Remember that werewolves are people, too, and should be given the same rights and responsibilities as any other human being."

Fudge was quivering with rage, speechless. The toad lady calmly took over, "You enabled several werewolves to strategically attack innocent civilians. You armed them against us. You should be sent to Azkaban."

"Yes, I enabled them to attack like a wand maker enables a wizard to become dark, except I did more than that. I allowed them to choose. I would be guilty of murder if I had forced werewolves to transform every full moon, but instead I freed them from murdering others without being able to choose not to. I allowed them to be good. Just because they decided not to does not mean that I am responsible for their decision. After all, it's their decision!"

An older, more experienced-looking woman spoke up, "Yes, I would have to agree with the boy. He had no control over them. We should be thanking him for his services to humanity. After all, despite the exponential increase in werewolf attacks, there has been an exponential decrease in deaths that result from these attacks. And, a bottle of dittany infused with silver has been reported to just come from nowhere during these attacks, within reach and use of the victim after the attack, as if the werewolf is only trying to infect rather than kill. I believe that these werewolves mean us no harm, and only want to improve their living conditions by invading the political arena with those that share their interests. That would explain why over two thirds of us either have already been attacked by a werewolf or have relatives that are werewolves while most other groups of people are generally unaffected."

Harry spoke now, "Interesting. I wonder if werewolves will have equal rights soon."

The pink toad lady was about to speak up again and looked to be in a rage when Harry interrupted her, "Hey, what is your name? Every time I think of who you might be the only thing I can come up with is 'Pink Toad Lady.'"

Many people gasped and eventually broke down in laughter. Even Fudge joined in a little. Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought she looked like a toad. The most hilarious part is that Harry couldn't have lied when he said that. As soon as Fudge could catch his breath, he said, "Well, that was an amusing observation. Her name is Delores Jane Umbridge."

"Interesting. First name means 'sorrow'. Second means 'to take offense'. Judging by your behavior today, you enjoy inflicting sorrow upon others. Judging by your obsession with vanity, you are shallow and have a very limited state of mind. You likely fear anything that is strange and have a desperate need to control your surroundings. Stemming from that, you likely take great offense if anyone challenges you or your views and very likely have a highly poisonous world view and are obsessed with power. Tell me, are you married?"

Delores didn't answer, her mouth twisted into a snarl and her face was as pink as her clothes. The Minister answered again, "No, she is not."

Harry was disappointed, "How predictable. Why do the bad ones have to be so boring?"

Fudge, now no longer amused said, "Back on topic, Potter. Time for the next question. I believe I will ask it. You are obviously different in other ways. Anyone who looks at you will know that you are not only a werewolf. The eyes suggest a cat or snake and the hair suggests a basilisk or a bad case of new fashion. What has caused you to look this way and what else has this caused?"

"I am sure you have heard of the Chamber of Secrets?"

This drew yet another row of gasps from the crowd. Fudge remained calm, "Yes."

"But you have not heard of why the attacks have stopped?"

"We heard that you found the chamber and tamed the monster within, ending the attacks."

"Yes. The monster, which is a naturally born basilisk, has a name. Her name is Caroline. I have formed a natural bond with her and she now lives in the forbidden forest. In the struggle that occurred between Dumbledore and Slytherin's other heir within the chamber, Caroline's fangs were used as poisonous shrapnel against me by the other heir. I was stabbed in the arm by a fang, after which time I lost consciousness. Dumbledore's phoenix attempted to heal me, but the poison was unaffected, and the only thing Fawkes achieved was closing the wound." Harry said in a controlled and calm voice. He didn't know how, but he was able to leave out Neville, Luna, and Ginny, as well as the identity of the heir and how the heir lived. That would beg too many questions that he would rather not answer or just didn't want to answer.

Fudge spoke, "What do you mean by a naturally born basilisk?"

"Slytherin seemed to have a particular connection to basilisks, so he kept some on his land. These basilisks mated and so Caroline was born a natural basilisk. Her poison is stronger and her killing glare is much more powerful, as is mine. As it seems; I, too, am an heir of Slytherin. For some reason, I can talk to snakes and I am impervious to a basilisk's glare and poison. Following the events in the chamber, I noticed some weird things happen to me. The poison flushed out of my urine and corroded the toilet I was using, yet had no effect on me. After that, my eyes became slitted and I grew three eyelids, the first being clear, and the second being cloudy. My third lids are my normal ones. Then, when I was bathing, the skin above my spine peeled to reveal scales and my hair went bald in a stripe and was replaced by red hair. Then I became cold blooded and slept better in the cold rather than in the warmth. Then my human teeth fell out and were replaced by pointed ones and my tongue became that of a snake's. My teeth could deliver a highly deadly poison that was corrosive, just like Caroline's.

"Then came the second most unfortunate experience of my life. Three members of your Department of Mysteries showed up at the house I was staying at in order to discover why certain spells were being triggered. These spells were engineered to detect basilisks within its premises. They came with a device and it flat-lined near me. When they looked at my eyes, they all froze. Then, one of them drew their wand and fired a killing curse at me. My eyes burned for a split second before I ducked. I looked up to see all three of them thrashing violently on the floor; blood and putrid, liquid grey matter leaking out of their mouths and noses for several seconds before they grew still. Luna vomited and I would have if I had a gag reflex, which happened to be missing as a result of my mutations. I could also eat small animals whole because my jaw can dislocate in the middle, and drink blood to sustain myself, though I don't know why that one came about."

Fudge grunted before saying, "So, you accidentally murdered three Department of Mysteries agents just by looking at them?"

"Well, not exactly. Later I found out that I couldn't easily cause my gaze to be deadly. I had to _really_ want to kill something. Otherwise, the only thing that can cause it is a real threat of death, which is why I killed your men by accident. Other than that one exception, my eyes work like a killing curse."

Fudge continued, "Are there any dangerous instincts you have gained from any of your mutations?"

"My werewolf qualities make my emotions harder to handle, but I have grown used to handling them with all of my bondmate's aid. Their support has made me a better person…. a complete person. Also, the basilisk qualities of mine make me want to bite something when threatened. Other than that, no dangerous instincts have been added to my mind."

"Good. Now, are there any other mutations you would like to share with us?"

Harry, noticing the hole in his question, answered, "No, Minister Fudge, there aren't."

Umbridge interrupted, looking vicious, "Have you had any other mutations?"

Harry's mouth moved of its own volition, "Yes."

Fudge's eyes narrowed. Umbridge looked triumphant. Fudge asked the obvious, "What mutations?"

Again, Harry couldn't stop himself, "I can also see thermal vision, feel the life essence of others, I can talk to dementors, and I am resistant to the dementor aura."

Fudge nodded, "And how did you acquire these abilities?"

Through gritted teeth, Harry answered while clawing his chair with his sharpened black nails, scratching poison into the wood, "I bonded with a dementor."

Umbridge looked like Christmas came early, "And how exactly do you bond with this dementor?"

Harry saw another hole, "Well, it's not a process I can explain. It was very easy to do because she is only a child. Despite this, she lives in a prison where most of the people there only have happy memories in the form of murder, betrayal, torture, and worse. Can any of you imagine having to feed on such torturing thoughts to survive? And now I have found that the dementor has escaped from Azkaban because you want to kill her for refusing to give an innocent man the dementor's kiss! I have felt the pain she feels and know what she knows. You torture them daily and you don't even care, do you? You think they are monsters and beasts! I will tell you where she is if you ask, but before you ask, know this."-and here his voice gained a new sense of dangerous power- "I will kill every last man and woman who witnesses my answer."

Umbridge looked mortified, covering her eyes with her hands. A handful of others looked amused, but many were a little annoyed. No one asked the question, not even the amused ones. Instead, one of the amused, a man that reminded him of Draco, said,

"I do not doubt that you tell the truth, but your efforts are pointless. We knew where the dementor was the moment it bonded with you. We did not intervene to take her to Azkaban because Dumbledore had advised Fudge that, and I quote, 'Any creature that Harry bonds with will have a respect of life that most humans cannot claim truthfully.' This tells us that this AWOL dementor is now in a state of mind that would only hurt others in self defense. As a result, we could not, in good conscience, destroy it. Well, most of us, anyway." He finished, glancing at Umbridge, and then sitting down.

Fudge nodded and said, "Yes. You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Potter. We will not harm your dementor. Now…" – at this he put a few papers in a manila folder on his podium – "your hearing is at an end, but will you meet me in private, Harry? In my office, perhaps?"

"Of course, minister. Tell me, do you know of anything else the dementor has done?" Harry asked,

"Well, we have no way to tell if it the dementor does anything, but we did place a spell on you that informs us of when and with what you bond so that we may identify and change the intelligence status of every creature you come in contact with. After all, we don't want to detain a perfectly in-control creature that would otherwise put other people in danger. Likewise, we will not permit an intelligent being to escape the law if they knowingly and willingly commit a crime. Anyway, this hearing is dismissed. Follow me, Harry."

And so, Minister Fudge came down from his podium and led Harry to his office, which was rather messy. It was a simple room with little decoration and paper after unorganized paper strewn about in a disorderly manner. As Harry glanced at a stack in which several exposed documents were stamped **TOP SECRET** , he caught a glimpse of a few words;

 _…_ _.to reside at a secret location protected by the Fidelius Charm believed to be somewhere on Grimmuald Pl-"_

Fudge covered the pile with his coat, nervously looking up at Harry and saying, "How rude of me to leave my secret documents lying around." His face became more self confident when he sat down in his chair and uncorked a half-empty bottle of firewhiskey. He took a swig and asked Harry to sit down. Harry sat on a nearby chair and spread out, waiting for the minister to speak. Several times Fudge opened his mouth as if he would speak, paused, then took another swig of firewhiskey. Finally, after half an hour of drinking and a quarter of a bottle gone, Fudge filled his mouth with words rather than whiskey.

"Very impressive spirit you have, Harry. I hope you do not threaten people very often?"

"No. I think that was the first time."

"Yes…Good man-"

"Minister, why am I here?"

His face sank and Harry could almost hear his heart drop. "To business, then. Harry, there is a man that has escaped from Azkaban. I am sure you have heard of Serious Black?"

"I know of an innocent man who escaped Azkaban. Is this Mr. Black?"

"Well, it is him, but I assure you he is not innocent."

"…If you insist, Minister." Harry did not believe him, of course. He knew that Lucy, the dementor who let Serious Black go, would never let a criminal go, and he had experienced this person's state of mind through Lucy. "What did you arrest him for, anyway?"

Fudge, blustered, said, "Well…um…I don't think I can tell you that, Harry. Just…be careful from now on. Even the most powerful wizard has a weakness."

"Yes. Given that I killed Voldemort as a baby, I would have to agree."

"So, you will be more careful then?"

"Yes."

"Good man. Well, unless you have some way of making my job easier by stopping time, I'm afraid that this meeting has come to an end." He and Harry stood up and Harry left. Eventually; he, Luna, and Tiberius got back to the hotel.

-oOoOo-

When they got to the hotel, Luna had a few rude things to say about Fudge and the Ministry in general. Heat seemed to radiate from her in waves because of how angry she was. She seemed particularly upset by Umbridge, which didn't come as a surprise to Harry. There was something about the woman that screamed 'evil'. She was female, and so should be more open to a spirit bond than a male, yet any attempt Harry made to bond with her didn't even make a change in her barriers. Her mind was so inactive and limited that even Voldemort was more open to making a positive bond than she was, and that was saying something. Harry was disturbed by Umbridge, but Luna was simply infuriated by her, to the point of turning her waist-length hair into pure white fire. Luckily it didn't burn Luna's clothes (supposedly her immunity to fire extends to whatever she is physically touching), which may have made her angry enough to burn the hotel down. Harry and Norberta successfully calmed her down and they went to bed.

-oOoOo-

Harry felt himself drift to vague consciousness. Upon opening his eyes, he saw the hood and cloak of a dementor leaning over him.

"Hello, Lucy." Harry said quietly, stretching.

"Hello, Harry. Where is Luna?"

This caused Harry to pause. The covers next to him were empty. Feeling half of him recoil in fear and the other half laugh knowingly, Harry calmly (yet feverishly) searched his mind for their connection. Upon finding it, he found that she was in Diagon alley, looking through the window of the Magical Menagerie at a small pair of what appeared to be lion cubs. She was fascinated by them, and for good reason. Not only did they look dangerous, despite being cubs, but they were also winged. One was the darkest black, and the other was the brightest white. Harry thought with his mind,

"Ask how much those are worth."

Luna, having been entranced by the….whatever they were, was surprised at first by Harry's mental presence. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" She asked.

"Yes. Would you like to take them to Hogwarts and eventually home?"

"Yes. I'm going to buy them."

"Thank you." Harry said, sending her feelings of love.

"You're welcome." She replied, reciprocating the feelings.

Harry returned to himself and began getting dressed. Lucy floated in the air, absorbing some of the excess happiness bleeding off of Harry, which came in waves for the winged lions Harry and Luna were going to have.

"How are you, Lucy?" Harry asked after pulling a shirt on.

"Happier than I have felt in a very long time. Possibly forever." Lucy said, but Harry didn't feel very much emotion from her. He figured that she was only conserving the happiness she needed.

"Good. Now, Lucy; Luna is going to bring home two young and winged lions. I want you to exclude them from your aura. Do you understand?"

"I exclude everyone but you and Luna anyway."

"Good. Now, do you remember what today is?"

"The first day of school?"

"Yes. Do you know what that means?"

"…" No thoughts came from her. It felt to Harry like he was talking to a brick wall, but didn't let her know that.

"You will be riding with us on the train. That means that you need to be careful about only siphoning off the extra happiness that no one will notice is gone. However, you will do fine. The first day of school tends to get people very excited."

"I'm going with you on the train?"

"Yes, Lucy. Is that OK with you?"

"…" Harry felt Lucy's mind contract into herself. She sank to the floor and put her totally-healed hands on her face, quivering as a hollow moan escaped her mouth. Harry, realizing that she was crying, pried her limp hands from her face and hugged her.

"What is wrong, Lucy?"

"…."

"Lucy, talk to me." Harry whispered lovingly, rubbing her spiny back.

"I…." Harry felt her throat grow sore.

"Yes?"

"I….I…." A shudder rippled through her bony body. Harry stayed silent. "I've never been around good people before. I've never felt a single good human thought before. I've never felt this _alive_ before. I've never been this healthy before. I've never been hugged before. I've never been loved before. I have never even thought – in a million years – that I would ever be considered equal to anything greater than a _dementor_."

Harry was immediately – and quite brutally – reminded of the injustice surrounding the European treatment of those who aren't exactly human or aren't human at all. Dementors, dragons, house elves, werewolves, vampires, basilisks, goblins, centaurs, giants, you name it – they are all….abused, for lack of a more powerful term.

"And what is a dementor to you, Lucy?"

"The darkest creature imaginable. Dementors feed off of your worst memories and consider sucking the souls of the helpless a most enjoyable activity. They despise joy and are obsessed with ending laughter. They are a shadow left on the world by death himself. This is what the prison guards think. This is what the prisoners think. This is what the ministry officials think. This is all that I have ever known myself to be. Until I came here and met….well….attacked…." Lucy convulsed in sorrow in a remarkably human way. Harry felt the familiar sting of depression flowing from Lucy like a toxic river. "I am a monster."

 _"_ _Feel these memories!"_ Harry yelled with both his mouth and mind, showing Lucy everything that the Dursleys had done and said to him. _"_ _I was called a freak, an evil cur, a monster, and for a while I believed them. I was treated terribly!_ _I am like you!"_

 _"_ _You are nothing like me. You don't have to do terrible things to survive."_

 _"_ _Emphasis on the words 'have to.' Lucy, you are forced to siphon off happiness to live. If you could choose differently, you would! That makes you a good person. Just because others can't see that doesn't make it a lie. Don't believe what others say: Believe what Luna and I say, because we are the only ones that care enough to tell you the truth."_

"You really think so?" Lucy asked, talking now.

"What I know is you. You are not a bad person. Being the only one in the room who has felt the minds of both Voldemort and Dumbledore, I know this for a fact and that fact is to be treated as such. You are a very good person. You have a beautiful mind and heart. You have no real reason to believe otherwise."

Lucy hugged Harry back, grabbing his clothes as she did. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you too, Lucy."

-oOoOo-

They sat and hugged like that for almost ten minutes, just breathing. Then, breaking away from Lucy, Harry asked, "Do you know how dementors came about?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Lucy, rising above Harry's head, glad that her momentary depression was over.

"Have any of the dementors at Azkaban ever told you how dementors came to be?"

Again Lucy grew dark, but not as deeply as before. "Yes. Do you want to hear it?"

"Yes, please." Harry said politely.

"Well….where do I begin? I guess I could begin with…yes…that will do.

"Twelve years ago, a few of our older dementors met someone who once was a young witch. Her name is lost to the sands of time. She was the only woman near her age in an entire village. She was born in a time that children were a burden and a curse. She was conceived through an extramarital affair. She never knew her mother or father. She lived during a time before the existence of wands, so wizards had to rely on their natural talent. Her only natural talent was in blood magic. She was naturally drawn to it, but not because of a thirst like with vampires, but because she could feel its power. She said that it feels like a hum. She said that blood even has a personality. It holds the emotions that the organism it had left was experiencing.

"Over the course of her life, she was shunned from the community she lived in until she could handle it no more. She left her village for a new one. A month she traveled alone, growing her knowledge of blood magic, seeing a certain beauty in it. Finally, she arrived at a muggle town she had only heard of. There were many travelers there and no one knew her. She decided to live on the outskirts of this town. There, he saw a man about her age hunting small game with a bow. He greeted her and complemented her and brought her home to his family, who welcomed her. He had not yet caught the eye of any woman until that day. She, having never been accepted and being completely blind to the thoughts and emotions of others, immediately fell in love with the man. She began to attempt to give him some sort of a sign that she loved him, but she didn't know how. Her fears of losing him grew as time went on.

"One day, the man was attacked by a werewolf. He returned; pale as death and holding his own intestines in his arms. He had a bite on his neck that, had it hit any major artery or broken any bone, would have killed him before he made it to his home. The man's family was already grieving for their loss, but the woman refused to accept his death until his death had already come. Knowing blood magic as a powerful healing tool, the woman cut her hands even as the man had yet to sit down and began on the intestines. The family saw the blood flowing from her hands into the man and began attacking her, forcing her away. Forcing her to let him die. She ran into a nearby forest known today as the Hoia Baciu Forest in Romania, mind flooding with depression, anger, and sorrow. In that forest she collapsed onto her knees and stabbed her arms with the knife over and over again, trying to take away the pain.

"Soon, a puddle of blood gathered beneath her and she attempted to speak a curse onto the family. What she said is this: 'Let my pain be theirs. Let my pain hang over them and take their happiness like a parasite. Let my pain find them wherever they may be to torture their every living moment. Let them feel my pain as a terrible chill. Let my pain be unending and unrelenting unto them. And so I bind my curse with sorrow and blood and hate so that they meet a most bitter end.' She passed out from the power of the spell.

"Not knowing that her pain was an inseparable part of her identity, she became a new creature that was later known as a dementor. The morning after, she awoke from her sleep and, discovering her changed form, new hunger, and new abilities, grieved the loss of her only love and celebrated her new form. Now she can fight against her enemies. Now she stood a chance against them. Immediately she killed several living things around her for energy and went back to the families' house to watch their reactions to her.

"It was not long before she noticed that they could not see her. Another man was there, more official looking than the family. He listened to the report that the family gave and examined the body. At first, the dementor felt that the man was afraid that she would return. Then, when examining the body, the official saw that the body was partially healed. There were scars on each end of the gashes on the body's stomach. The official was very curious and almost couldn't believe his eyes. After a while of thinking, the official said to the family, 'What did the woman do again?'

"The wife responded, 'she had cut her hands open and then the blood darted to my boy's wounds. I thought she was hurting him more.'

"The official said, 'these wounds are partially healed. The woman was healing them. If you had let her continue, your son would still be alive.' The wife was hysterical and a fight ensued. The dementor grew angry and her aura broadened and strengthened. Pretty soon, the family and the official were collapsed on the floor, barely able to move. And finally, one after another, everyone in the dementor's vicinity died. A fog came from her, and thus the first dementors were born."

Lucy stopped the telling the same way that she started it; without emotion. Harry's heart twisted for the woman. Luna interrupted with, "OK. I'm coming home with two gorgeous lions!"

-oOoOo-

When Luna got home, Harry told her the origin story of the dementors and how he had come to know it. Luna and Lucy had a heartfelt moment where they hugged and shared emotions across their bond and then Luna brought up the cage with the two lions from downstairs. They were so big that Harry had to help Luna carry them up the stairs.

Lucy thought that they were beautiful and so did Harry. They were as big as medium size dogs. Their wings were able to hug their backs, but when they extended, each wing was at least twice as long as their bodies. Harry closed all of the exits of the room and Luna opened the cage to set them free. The white one immediately bound to the door and pushed on it with his front paws, then flew to the window on the opposite side of the room in an attempt to get out. Then it simply explored excitedly.

The black one, however, was much more calm. It cautiously poked its nose out of the cage and smelled around. Then it just wandered over to the bed and fell asleep, briefly looking at Lucy and yawning. Harry smiled to see two huge canines protruding from the top of its mouth as it yawned.

"Hey, Luna?" Harry asked.

"Yes?"

"Did you begin bonding to them?" Harry thought that their lack of intelligence was a strange thing.

"I thought we should bond with them together."

"You're so sweet." Harry said lovingly, "Do you want to begin now?"

"Well….isn't it a little late? Shouldn't we be getting to the Hogwarts Express?"

"We can bond on the way. Besides, we have time to kill. The sun hasn't even risen yet."

Rather than say 'good point', Luna just opened her mind to the two winged lions and so did Harry. A few hours later, they had gotten ready for school and were leaving the hotel via flu powder. Next moment Harry, Luna, Lucy, Lupin, and the two lions (The white being Fang, and the other being Shadow) were standing in front of the Hogwarts Express. By the time they had entered the train, Fang and Shadow already knew how to speak English. Since they were now intelligent beings, Luna and Harry held them, rather than put them in their cages. By this point, the press had grown accustomed to expecting Harry to bring something strange on board the Express, so they had to fight through a crowd of parents and reporters to get inside the train.

For Lucy, it was easy to be around this many people. Besides those who flipped out because Lucy was a dementor, she was able to extend her aura to its normal capacities without affecting anyone because of all of the excess happiness floating around in people's minds. Harry and Luna, however, had to close their minds off from the outside world because so many happy thoughts occurring around them made them feel claustrophobic. Harry recalled a quill and pad of paper floating around them and writing like crazy. Luna eventually incinerated them and they all heard a horrified screech from the reporter that it had belonged to. Seconds later, they were inside and it was much quieter in comparison. They found a single empty compartment in the very back of the train. It was strange company: Two students, one only one fifth human, another that simply wasn't human at all, a werewolf who is also a professor for the leading school of witchcraft and wizardry, a dementor that has been freed from the wizard prison by arguably the most powerful young wizard alive, and two lions who have wings and opposing fur colors.

"Well, that was fun," said a smiling Luna.

"I bet it was. Did you hear that reporter's shriek?" Luna, Harry, and Remus laughed. Lucy simply asked,

"Why is that funny to you?"

Harry didn't understand. Remus spoke, "It's funny to me, at least, because that was Rita Skeeter; A reporter notorious for ruining the reputations of many famous individuals. If she was here, then she was looking to put the entire world against Harry by throwing him into a pile of controversy and generalization."

Harry was surprised. So was Luna. It was the first time that they have heard of this reporter. Remus continued, "Had Luna not burned that notepad and quill, her headline would be the beginning of Harry's war against everyone who believes the load of troll bullocks that she spews out, which happens to be quite a few."

Lucy's objections seemed subdued, but that didn't affect Harry and Luna's guilt about it. They didn't know that they were doing by laughing at what they had understood as some random reporter. However, they also felt glad for doing it since Luna would likely burn down quite a few things because of it. Harry's head was filled with the image of Hogwarts on fire. Of course, Luna isn't a very sensitive trigger and will probably burn nothing in anger on purpose, but that didn't stop her from being able to cause an inferno capable of wiping out an army.

Harry noticed a growing pressure on his mind. Luna detected it as well, and then united her mind with his to find out what was causing it. The train left the station and the pressure immediately lessened. Luna began to study Harry's mind for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing strange came up. Lucy and Remus noticed the blank look on Harry and Luna's faces and Remus spoke,

"OK, what just happened?" He then turned to Lucy, thinking to her, _"_ _Is that normal?"_

 _"_ _Of course it is; they are bonded. They are deep within each other's minds right now. I've no idea why, though."_

 _"_ _Can't you just look into their minds?"_

 _"_ _Well yes, but I don't want to intrude."_

Harry and Luna came back from their minds and Harry began speaking. "Someone or something was putting pressure on my mind."

Remus began asking questions immediately, "Do you know its intent?"

"No. It was only applying pressure, like it wanted me to know it was there. It could have easily gotten in unnoticed as long as it didn't do anything too intrusive, but it didn't look at thoughts or memories. It just made its presence known."

Remus and Luna were sitting back and thinking. Remus spoke again, "Perhaps it was checking your sensitivity to Spirit Magic? Trying to test your limits or discover an easy way through your mind?"

Luna spoke now, "Or it could have been a friend, letting you know that they are watching and that you are safe?"

Remus spoke, "Hey, I thought you were supposed to be protective of him?"

"I am. His mind is now impenetrable. However, when it comes to investigation, I follow The Law of 10 Men: If you are one of ten and nine agree on something, it is your duty to disagree and prove them wrong."

"That's smart." Said Lupin.

Lucy interrupted, "I think I might know what it was."

Harry spoke, "What do you mean?"

"Did the pressure change locations in your mind?"

"No. What does that-"

"Did the pressure come from within your mind?"

"Yes, but what-"

"Harry, I think someone was reorganizing a portion of your mind. I've encountered this before. They always report feeling a pressure coming from within their mind and no noticeable changes. However, they soon notice that they could make connections between concepts and ideas that have nothing to do with each other. It can be used to catastrophic effect. Without suspecting an outside agent, some came to believe that life had no purpose, or that they were being watched by their loved ones, or that they were capable of anything. It can be a relatively effective form of assassination, as it is basically a synthetic form of directed insanity. Those that have become victims of this typically end up killing someone else or themselves. It has good uses, too, but these cases are rare. I have heard of one case where it was used to transmit ideas and concepts to another.

"Simply put, Harry, I need to look into your mind to be sure that nothing strange happened."

Luna spoke, "I have already looked into his mind. Nothing has changed."

"If you were in his mind when he felt the pressure, it is very possible that your mind has experienced the same effects. I will have to look into your mind as well as his."

Harry said, "Very well. Hey, how did you know about this?"

"Many inmates of Azkaban do this to kill themselves before they die naturally."

"Why?"

"They wouldn't have the courage otherwise….Let's begin."

Lucy's mental spike went into Harry's mind. He spasmed uncomfortably. She kept on searching his mind until she landed on the same spot Harry felt pressure. Then Harry's vision blurred and he became dizzy. Eventually she left his mind and immediately began speaking.

"Your mind structure was not changed. You were not harmed in any way. You will be fine."

"Why was that so painful?" Harry asked.

"Unfortunately, in order to know whether or not your mind has changed, I have to feel the structure. Normally when in another's mind, we only move through the pathways that already exist. However, we don't know which mind we are in until they tell us or we find out for ourselves. If your mind was changed at all, I had to study your mind without your permission. I went as fast as I could so that your mind was in its most natural state. Only in its natural state will the mind reveal its changes and weaknesses."

"OK. Um…Did the thing that put pressure on my mind do anything?"

"Yes. It was sending you a message. It didn't have long, so I only got part of what it was trying to send you. A name. Peter Pettigrew."

Luna and Harry didn't know who that was. Remus didn't say anything. Lucy simply said, "Whoever sent it to you was trying to warn you of something. It felt urgent. It, or he as we should call him, was very concerned for your health. He felt that you were in eminent danger."

The temperature of the room increased drastically as a result of Luna's protective instincts. Harry put his hand in hers and they searched the train for a mind that had the will to harm him. They found nothing. Luna's hair caught fire and Harry was now becoming worried. They closed up the room they were in and set up wards to detect ill intent and negate offensive spells. Luna felt that it wasn't enough, but Harry wasn't worried. He was confident that the wards already put into place would work. Remus seemed relaxed. No one could tell what mood Lucy was in because she had no facial expressions. However, her head frequently turned away from the window to the door, telling everyone else that she was nervous. Soon, a familiar face showed up at the door.

"Hey guys, I've been looking for you all over. Where-"

After opening the door a crack, Ron closed it again as he spotted the winged lions and the dementor. "Where did you get those things?!"

Luna spoke, amused, "We got the winged lions at the menagerie and the dementor at a hotel. We bonded with them, they're safe. Now, get in or stay out."

Ron opened the door again tentatively. Fang, the white lion, regally blinked at Ron from his perch on the rack. Shadow, the black lion, was sleeping on top of the suit case on the floor that was put there so that the white lion could have a perch. She awoke and yawned, exposing her massive teeth to Ron, who shivered in a mix of fear and awe then sat. Shadow lay her head down and fell asleep again. Lucy simply nodded her head at Ron before looking out the window again. Ron looked around the room. Eventually he looked at Harry's hair and was about to compliment it when his eyes fell on Harry's.

"Whoa! What happened to your eyes?!"

Harry spoke just after tasting the air with his tongue and smiling broadly at Ron, after which Ron's mouth gaped a little. "Well…You know that bite I got from Caroline?"

"The basilisk from the chamber that Thana likes?"

"Yes," said Harry, grinning at Ron's response, "Well…I don't know how, but it seems to have caused me to mutate some basilisk-like traits. I can now kill with a simple glance if I wanted to in both my wolf and human forms. The same goes for my basilisk poison, except it is also in my wolf form's nails. The skin above my spine has scales on them, which change to red hair when in wolf form. My teeth have become triangular and serrated, and my tongue has become skinny, black, and forked like a snake's."

"Wicked! Are there any other mutations I should know about?"

"I have also gained the ability to speak the dementor language, I can see thermal and sonar vision, I can see other life form's life energy, I can fly without using Shadow Magic, and I can siphon off the life energy, physical feelings, and emotions of others."

-oOoOo-

The train ride seemed to be going smoothly. Hermione eventually showed up as well. Unlike Ron, she immediately took to the winged lions and was hardly surprised by Harry's look. The only thing that she was surprised about was the dementor, who she immediately formed a simple bond with. Neville never showed up for whatever reason.

Harry and Luna were calmly talking about everything that they may have forgotten. They had already told Norberta to fly to Hogwarts days ago. Unfortunately, they couldn't bring Cuddles or Asmund, the snake and wolf that they had brought to Xenophilius' home, because they forgot. They didn't mind because they wanted to stay there anyway. Xenophilius tends to be friendly to them. They tell Harry and Luna about how Xenophilius now sleeps on the banks of the river with them in wolf form rather than in the house. Harry felt a fairly strong bond form between them and Xenophilius. He was glad that his absentmindedness didn't cause his friends an entire year of loneliness.

Suddenly, the train slowed down and then stopped. Remus, Shadow, and Harry were asleep by this time. Ron, Hermione, Luna, Lucy, and Fang were all awake, however. Luna shook Harry awake and Shadow woke up automatically when the temperature in the train started dropping. Lucy announced to those in the room with her mind,

 _"_ _As I had expected, the other dementors have been ordered to search the train for the fugitive. Harry and Luna; try to keep your minds guarded. We don't want a fully grown dementor trying to kill you, and I can only do so much."_

Luna and Harry set barriers around their minds. Their Bondmates helped. The chill became greater until Harry could hear the dry rasping breath of an adult dementor. Its mind raked at theirs, trying to siphon something from their minds, but it found nothing. Harry could feel the anger and frustration. Its _thirst_ was like a burning in Harry's mind. For a slight second, Harry felt sorry that the dementor had to feel this way. For that second, Harry left a gap in his mental armor.

For a moment, nothing registered to Harry but an intensely emotional sinking feeling. Then, a light came out of Remus' wand and the dementor was driven away. Harry's vision came back and now he knew that Remus had cast a patronus. Harry noticed that Lucy had left through the window before the patronus was cast. The patronus was a wolf. It was chasing the dementors out of the train.

It eventually came back to Remus. As it came into Harry's view, it locked eyes with Harry. It's head was bent to one side, as if wondering something. A second later, it growled and pounced at Harry, teeth bared. Shadow intercepted the attack, impacting the patronus with her teeth around its throat, ripping it apart soon after, causing the patronal wolf to disappear. Remus seemed surprised.

"Why did my patronus attack you?" Remus asked, looking at Harry.

"I'm part dementor. Didn't I say that?"

"No, you only said that you had some dementor-like qualities."

"Well…now you know."

Remus smiled and broke out several massive bars of dark chocolate.

 **Sorry for the wait. I had a lot going on with school. Now I'm back to type away again, hopefully. Either way, what did you think about this chapter?**


	14. The Beetle and The Reaction

Lucy flew back into the compartment, and said

"Hey, I have to go now. Be seeing you."

"Goodbye," said Harry and Luna as Lucy left. The only thing that everyone else heard was a pattern of hisses from both. Luna relayed the information as Remus got back to breaking chocolate.

Holding a massive chunk of chocolate out to Harry, Remus said, "This will make you feel better; eat. Sorry that I couldn't get you this the first time, but for what it's worth…"

"Sorry, but I can't. I'm a werewolf, remember?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, you are one, don't you know that werewolves can't eat anything but meat?"

"No, they just can't eat plant life. Candy, however, they can eat, but only in relatively small quantities."

"Alright."

Luna interrupted, "That's good to know."

"Yes it is," said Remus, "it allows you to eat chocolate when you are attacked by a dementor. However, I wouldn't make eating desserts a habit, Luna. It would give you the runs like nobody's business."

"Oh. Well…it still has its uses, I guess."

Harry ate the chocolate and found warmth seeping back into his bones almost immediately. "Are you sure this chocolate isn't spiked with a restorative draught, Remus?"

"Very sure. Your brain reacts to chocolate by producing serotonin, a chemical commonly produced when feeling in love and happy. This naturally counteracts the depression felt by the dementor's aura, as well as their aura's physical manifestations. Chocolate, for whatever reason, also fights off the aura's weakening and chilling characteristics. In other words, I don't need to spike the chocolate, since it, by itself, is already a potion."

After everyone in the compartment ate, Remus gave Harry an unopened bar of chocolate, which was about the size of his rib cage and strongly reminded Harry of Hagrid for this very reason, "Just in case you are attacked again."

The train started moving again. Hours later, they arrived at the train station. They left the train and walked to the carriages. Harry and Luna saw the Thestrals pulling them, as usual. Remus, however, saw them for the first time.

"Hey, I didn't know that they had Thestrals here."

Ron spoke up, "What's a thestral?"

"Thestrals are black, boney, winged, horse-like beasts that can only be seen by those that have seen death. I for one do not remember seeing death, exactly, but my wolf form has likely caused it. I remember a few kids going missing in my neighborhood when I was a child. I used to constantly wonder what had happened to some of my best friends. Anyway, tell me, how is it that you haven't seen death, Ron?"

Thrown off by Remus' blunt honesty, he attempted to recover with, "I-I have. I see these Thestrals. I just didn't know what they were," Ron looked at Harry and said, "Well, I guess you weren't lying, Harry."

Harry sat on the carriage, thinking about what Ron had said. Seconds later, Harry asked, "Hey, Ron?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"That time you just spoke of. You know, last year?"

"Yes?"

"You were not with us when I said that."

"I…yes I was…wasn't I?"

"No, the only ones that were there were Hermione and Neville." Ethan instinctively looked for bond threads between Hermione and Ron. What he saw impressed him. "And now I know why you know about it without knowing why. Ron, Hermione has formed an artificial Veela's bond with you. Did you know about this?"

Hermione gasped, "I did what, now?"

"You didn't know either? Well, there's a first time for everything. Have you been noticing any symptoms?"

Ron said, "I have had a fever all summer, if that is to be counted. It was getting worse until I saw you guys."

"How worse?" Asked Harry

Hermione asked, "Have you been throwing up, getting terrible rashes, maybe some nosebleeds and so forth?"

"Yes." Replied Ron

"Me, too. My parents almost forced me to stay home."

Harry continued the conversation, "When was it that the bond might have formed?"

Ron said, "Maybe that moment you were revived by the restorative mandrake potion after being paralyzed?"

Hermione said dreamily, "Oh, right. You were leaning above me with tears in your eyes."

Harry and Remus laughed a little. Ron retorted, "Hey! I thought it wasn't working! Three minutes is a long time, okay!"

Hermione hugged Ron, giggling, "You are so sensitive, Ron!" Their conversation degraded to giggles and slightly irritated comments, and eventually ceased altogether in a fit of calm snuggling. To them, the stars and moon (which was a waning half-moon) seemed to become extremely interesting and beautiful to them. This strange turn of events in a social setting could only be explained by a deep bond with another person. Harry and Luna exchanged knowing glances and began snuggling as well. Remus smiled at the two pairs. Everything was interrupted when a familiar voice called from behind.

"Hey, Harry, is it true that you were attacked by dementors on the train?" It was Draco, who had jumped out of his carriage and ran towards theirs. As he jumped into the carriage, Shadow and Fang growled at the sudden entrance of a new threat to Harry. Harry gave them a mentally calming feeling and then answered,

"Yes. How did you know about that?"

"I could sense it. Why did it attack you?"

"Apparently my mental openness and purity is too much to resist for them." Harry heard laughter coming from the carriage behind them

"What was that, Potter? Did a little dementor scare you?" It was Crab sitting next to Goyle, both of which seemed to have assembled around a new leader, who was Pansy Parkinson; a rather uncomfortable girl to be around for Harry, who was reminded of Aunt Petunia whenever he saw her or felt her mind. Their mental faculties felt pretty much identical to each other, despite their differing views on magic. They both took pride in their hate of things, including their hate of pride.

For a second, his head screamed in pain. The others noticed that Harry was grabbing his head and groaning. Dozens of minds entered his to find out what was wrong. The pain wasn't caused by any physical ailment or injury. It seemed to have been caused by a…warping of…something, but even Luna couldn't be sure.

Harry had felt incredibly depressed. He had left his home weeks ago and got on something called the Knight Bus to go to Diagon Ally, where he stayed until today. On the way to the school, he had been attacked by a dementor and had passed out during the attack. Upon hearing about this, Draco had made fun of him. Then he experienced another torturing pain and collapsed onto the floor of the carriage. Something in his mind snapped and the false memories disappeared. The minds in his head withdrew once they knew that he was ok.

Luna asked, temperature around her rising, "What was that, Harry?"

"I don't know." He said. "Hopefully it won't happen again." He sat back up and put his arm around Luna. Her skin eventually began returning to a normal temperature. She then asked,

"Why is it that your patronus of me starts out as an adult Hungarian Horntail?"

Remus spoke up, "A Hungarian horntail? Why aren't you fiercer? More passionate?"

Ron and Hermione were impressed, "Your patronus has reached that size?"

Remus said, "Do you two normally speak at the same time?" They blushed at this question but didn't answer.

Harry said, "Now they will be speaking at the same time, and yes, my patronus has reached that size. Also, there are many ways to be fierce and passionate." That last part he answered smiling and leaning his head on Luna's head, which was leaning on his shoulder. "Anyway, I don't know why it starts out as a dragon. If I did, you would already know anyway."

Silence stretched on for a few seconds, and then Ron asked the question, "Weren't we talking about becoming werewolves?"

Harry raised his head from Luna's, "When?"

Hermione picked up Ron's next thought, "When we were heading home for this last summer break."

Harry cocked his head and squinted at a randomly picked star, and then when he couldn't remember it, he thought to Luna, " _Can you help me out, here?"_

Luna said, "You know, when I revealed my nickname for you, Furry Potter." Remus grinned upon hearing this.

Harry said, "Oh, that's right. I'm glad you guys didn't go off the handle when you found out that I was a werewolf."

Ron said, "Well, I don't know, mate. I guess I'm not that surprised after you had faced certain death three times and lived. I knew there was something strange about you this whole time. You being a werewolf, slash, lamia wasn't something I had marked off my notes as too powerful for you. In fact, I'm surprised that that's all that it was."

"It wasn't, but thank you. Now, so you want to become werewolves? Ah, but not you, Hermione?" Harry looked at her questioningly. Hermione had rejected the idea the last time they had ridden the train. Why anyone would pass this opportunity up was a mystery to him.

"Actually, I've changed my mind."

"Excellent. I will tell Dumbledore immediately and we can do it this Saturday. I had been building a small collection of essence of dittany infused with silver ever since I became a werewolf. I believe I have enough for all of you. It would take about a day to recuperate, so if we do it in the morning you should be fine for most of Sunday and able to attend class on Monday."

Remus interrupted, "You are going to infect a group of students with Lycanthropy? Do you realize that you could be expelled for this? It could be seen as many things by those government types! Given the current werewolf activity; knowing that you gave them the cure, they will be looking for an excuse to expel you! You didn't force them to revolt, but at this point you are supporting their cause, which is just enough evidence to have you publically executed for supporting a terrorist organization! And what if you dodge that killing curse? If the wrong people find out, they could have Dumbledore sacked for allowing this to occur! And that is just the beginning, especially if you consider the reactions of the parents who find out!"

Harry paused for a moment and stared off into the distance. When he came back, he said, "Thank you, Remus. That could have gone very badly. But I will still be telling Dumbledore about it, as I am sure you will, too. Perhaps we could go together?"

"Yes, of course." Remus said, calming down a little.

"Good. Now only one more thing to take care of." And with that, Harry's wand was out in a flash and he spoke the incantation, _"_ _Obliviate."_

Remus flinched and drew his wand a bit too late. Thankfully, Remus was not Harry's target, but a small, innocent-looking beetle that was sitting on his shoulder. Memories flowed from the small beetle in the form of a green mist into Harry's wand. Everyone except Luna seemed impressed.

Harry had mentally discovered the beetle as he had entered the train from platform 9 ¾. He had ignored its abnormally high intelligence and assumed that it was simply a magical insect, as he had come in contact with at least three others. Then, when it had hijacked Remus, he had begun to suspect something. Finally, he was able to poke around in its mind without alerting the beetle to his mental presence only to find that she was really Rita Skeeter, the reporter whose quill and parchment they had burned. This led to the conclusion that Rita Skeeter was looking for revenge. It made sense to follow _the_ Harry Potter just so she could blab his juicy secrets. Unfortunately for her, that meant that she had witnessed one of his juiciest.

Harry had alerted Luna to this because she was the only one who knew to keep absolutely natural in these types of situations. Even the slightest clue that they knew that she was there would have caused her to fly off. Harry spoke while picking up the briefly stunned beetle and putting her in the palm of his hand.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is Rita Skeeter's animagus form. She had just witnessed our little conversation. While I am not certain why she would find our...private and …..unsupervised activities an interesting thing, I still must not let her know the finer details as she would be able to make a rather attractive love story with it."

The others held blank faces as Harry had told them to act as if he wasn't lying. Harry continued, "Now, Rita Skeeter, reporter for the Daily Prophet, I will tell no-one that you had sneaked into a private conversation using an unregistered animagus form as long as you never do something like this to me again. And, I will know if you do, because my mind can reach several miles and penetrate even solid stone walls. If you doubt that I tell the truth, stay and let me crush you with my hand."

At that, the beetle reporter flew off as fast as she could towards Hogwarts' property-line. Harry hoped that she didn't find out that there was a way to hide her mental presence. Otherwise he would be reduced to using his eyes to find her animagus form. He wondered if this was how all of his secrets eventually got leaked to the press. Or, could it be a spy in Hogwarts? Someone that he trusted?

It couldn't be Dumbledore, Snape, or any other teacher or staff; they go through memory checks yearly, carried out by Madam Pomfrey, who is herself checked by Severus Snape. There are just too many people trying to kill Harry for Dumbledore to be lackadaisical about security. It couldn't be someone that he was deeply bonded to, since he can see into the very core of their being. No, this spy had to be someone that he hardly ever thought about and probably hasn't met yet.

The mounting tension in Harry's mind grew until Luna decided to sooth it. Her feelings of calm and ease washed over him like a stream of snowmelt, quenching the hottest, most abused portions of his mind. With it came its own form of flame. Luna's promise to Harry.

 _"_ _I will let nothing touch you."_

 _"_ _I am not worrying for me."_

 _"_ _Nothing can touch us or our friends. This spy is nothing to worry about."_

 _"_ _But…you had died, Luna."_

 _"_ _In the Chamber? Obviously not,"_ She carried on in an amused voice, _"_ _I am alive, aren't I?"_

 _"_ _I don't know how, but you came back."_

 _"_ _No, I was simply knocked unconscious."_

 _"_ _Knocked out by the killing curse?"_

 _"_ _By the shockwave. Fawkes flew in front of the curse and the shockwave of his explosion threw us back, remember?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_

 _"_ _I had simply hit my head on something. It put me in a deep sleep. Dumbledore had healed me after regaining consciousness himself."_

 _"…_ _That…makes a lot more sense than you coming back from the dead."_

 _"_ _Yes, it does. Harry, we have too many allies to be in any real danger. We are practically untouchable. If you want, we can sleep out in the Forbidden Forest."_

 _"_ _No. I would prefer sleeping in front of the picture above the hearth with Cuddles, Hedwig, and Asmund around us."_

 _"_ _OK, but not naked."_

 _"…_ _.Definitely not in front of the picture….Hmm….Maybe we should sleep in our normal spot instead."_

Humor shot through Harry's mind from Luna. _"_ _Oh, you naughty wolf! You just want to be naked with me! What happened to security, hmm?"_

 _"_ _That old bat in the picture sleeps like a rock anyway. Hedwig is our real security system."_

Another voice broke in, _"_ _Would you want to sleep under my wing tonight?"_

Upon the appearance of a third party, Harry and Luna's minds united, _"_ _Norberta! We missed you! How was the flight over?"_

 _"_ _I almost got sighted by one of those stinking high-altitude metal-dragons again."_

 _"_ _You mean the high-altitude planes? I told you to fly as high as you can to avoid that."_

 _"_ _I get too tired. There's not enough air to breathe and fly on up there."_

 _"_ _Well….If you do get spotted, just tear the plane to shreds before it can land. That way no one will know what happened."_

 _"_ _Wouldn't that be killing people?"_

 _"_ _Yes, but it would also be saving you from betraying the secrets of our world, which is vastly more important, as it would get you executed."_

 _"_ _Wouldn't killing a bunch of people get me executed?"_

 _"_ _Not if you don't get caught. Also not if you did it to keep our world a secret."_

 _"_ _Why all of the cloak and dagger?"_

 _"_ _Because you are a giant, flying, fire-breathing dragon in a world full of a bunch of dumb and dangerous people that would sooner kill you than touch your scales."_

 _"_ _Good point. So, do you want to sleep under my wing tonight?"_

 _"_ _We will be bringing an alarm clock."_

 _"_ _I dare you to wake up before my morning hunt."_

 _"_ _What time did that start again?"_

 _"_ _Sometime before the sun rises."_

 _"_ _I think we would fail."_

 _"_ _Still much to learn, my dear night-hunters. I love you both."_

 _"_ _We love you too, Norberta."_

And with that, Norberta disconnected from them. At about that time, they arrived at the front gate of Hogwarts. Many were talking at the gates and waiting for their friends. Two individuals waiting there, both looking worried out of their minds, were Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. By the time they spotted Harry, Madam Pomfrey took a huge bar of chocolate out of her bodice, similar in size to the one currently pressing on his chest. Harry then showed her his block of chocolate, yet Madam Pomfrey didn't stop herself from opening the chocolate's package and breaking off a fist-sized piece.

Draco began talking to Harry,

 _"_ Hey, Harry, about the dragon-"

"Not in front of everyone!" Harry whispered, several students outside of their group of friends being around them. He switched to thoughts, _"_ _Why don't you just think what you want to say?"_

 _"_ _That's so cool! You can talk with your mind?"_

 _"_ _Yes. Now, where you about to ask me about the dragon egg I had promised you?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_

 _"_ _Believe it or not, spare dragon eggs are hard to find. I haven't gotten one yet. You may have to wait a couple of years. Perhaps we could go to Ron's brother's work and steal one?"_

 _"_ _No, too risky. Shouldn't we just go through the legal channels? I can have my father pull a few strings."_

 _"_ _There are no legal channels for getting a dragon egg, since they are illegal."_

 _"_ _I wouldn't be too sure. My dad has connections with some pretty shady people."_

 _"_ _That's still not legal, but now I know that we don't have to do the stealing. How much would that cost, though?"_

 _"_ _Not counting a small fortune? Possibly a strong friendship with my father, and asking him at the right time."_

 _"_ _Perhaps you should be there when I ask?"_

 _"_ _Yes, that would be best. Make sure to include Luna, as well. Lucius has a slight fondness for veela."_

 _"_ _Why is that?"_

 _"_ _He is married to one."_

 _"…_ _.So, where are we supposed to get a small fortune?"_

 _"_ _We could spend every Knut you have in your trust fund, we could do something to earn a ton of money, or we could wait until you turn 17 so that you will have access to the Potter family vault."_

 _"_ _Why would I have access to the vault when I am 17?"_

 _"_ _That's when you would legally become an adult."_

 _"_ _A year earlier? Cool."_

 _"…_ _.I suppose it is."_

 _"_ _But would I have enough money?"_

 _"_ _Your family is richer than mine is, so yes, I would have to say so."_

 _"_ _Woah…how can I be richer than your family?"_

 _"_ _Wizards don't need money to buy their food if they become able to support themselves with the spells they cast. My family is indulgent and prideful, two personality traits that cost a lot of money. Yours, however, are perfectly fine living separated from society, returning to civilization only when necessary. It also helps to own an insurance company, two renting companies, and a food produce company, each operating in the muggle world. Your family is second richest in the world. The first richest family has gone extinct."_

 _"_ _Which is the richest?"_

 _"_ _You don't know?"_

 _"_ _Raised by muggles, remember?"_

 _"_ _Ah, yes. They are the Slytherins. Their eldest daughter ran from home and was never seen again. Months later, a group of wizards killed the entire family in secret. Many believed that the daughter was killed by the group just after being tortured for information on the location of their home, but her body was never found, which dodged around a clause in banking policy that existed back then that would have otherwise caused their fortune to be dissolved and distributed. It is the greatest mystery in banking that exists."_

 _"_ _What was this 'clause?'"_

 _"_ _Clause XIII of the 'Writ of Bank Operations' states that: "No Gringotts Vault may be dissolved nor its contents disclosed to outside parties if there is a surviving member of the family that owns it. The extinction of any family must be proven by the discovery of the bodies of all previously known and living family members. Upon the official declaration of death, special consideration must also be made upon the family's possibility of creating offspring, as well as the possibility of the last surviving family members travelling several years forward in time. Unless this family has been known to be experimenters in spatial magic or time magic, a note of said experiments must be left in the possession of Gringotts Bank before experiments begin in order to ensure the continued existence of the account and the continued maintenance of the vault."_

 _"_ _You memorized that whole thing?"_

 _"_ _Yes. My father practically obsesses over finding the last living member of Slytherin, which explains why I know that Slytherin even had a vault. The thing is, they aren't allowed to disclose the existence of the vault. Over time, it just faded from the public eye, to the point of only a select few in banking knowing of it."_

 _"_ _Which explains why said heir has never turned up."_ Harry's jaw dropped, his heart skipped a beat, and he stopped in his tracks.

Noticing the very public show of astonishment, Draco verbally spoke now, "What is it?"

Luna began looking around for possible threats while simultaneously reaching her mind into Harry's to find out what was wrong. Upon the usual transfer of memories that they go through whenever this occurs, she instantly understood. Harry spoke calmly.

"I know of two heirs of Slytherin."

Draco froze, tilted his head a little, then laughed a pure, hardy laugh.

Harry continued, "One of them is Voldemort." Draco started jumping up and down and pumping his fists into the air,

"And the other one is you! You got into the Chamber of Secrets! Woopie!"

Luna relaxed, Ron had no idea what was going on, Remus was right there with him.

Remus spoke, "Will someone please tell me what is going on?"

Harry spoke now, "I have inherited all of Slytherin's property in all of his vaults at Gringotts."

Remus seemed confused, "Wait, no one inherited it before you?"

"Apparently not."

"Why wouldn't they have told you about it after hearing of you opening the Chamber last year?"

Draco cut in, "They aren't allowed to. You are supposed to show them physical evidence that you are the oldest male heir and most direct descendant of Slytherin house before they give you any information on it. As far as they know, you learned how to speak parseltongue by reading up on the language, and then just happened to discover the chamber."

Ron joined in, "Right, how are we supposed to find proof that Harry is related to an age-old family?"

Remus said, "Well, they weren't idiots, and they were a very rich family. Being rich makes you a target, and targets are eventually hit."

Draco said, "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that they must have left behind a self-updating family tree somewhere."

"Ah, the infamous missing family tree."

"It's missing?"

"Has been ever since the Slytherins were almost wiped from the map."

Luna drawled on in a very sarcastic tone, "Well, if only we knew of someplace that was closed-off and hidden from the outside world for centuries."

Harry caught on before she finished talking, "The Chamber of Secrets!"

"I was wondering why the Chamber had no secrets last time we were there."

"Perhapse the statue of Slytherin?"

"I was thinking the same."

"We should go Saturday. I can't wait very long-"

Remus interrupted, "Are you forgetting something?"

Harry asked, "What?"

"The dementors?"

"What about- oh, right." Harry looked miffed. "I shouldn't forget the more important things."

Luna asked, "What's with the look?"

"I forgot about the dementors in my excitement." Harry now looked guilty for some great crime.

"Do not worry about it. I would have never let you forget anyway."

"That is good. Can you remember everything else I have to do?"

"I have a photographic memory. So, first you need to talk to Dumbledore about fulfilling the dementor's need to siphon happiness, turning a select few into werewolves, and about the Chamber of Secrets. Then you need to cure the dementors, Turn a select few into werewolves, and explore deeper into the Chamber of Secrets. Within the chamber, you need to find your family tree and show it to an official at Gringotts. When you turn 17, you can then explore the Slytherin vault. You also need to find a dragon's egg for Draco and somehow have it bond to him. That means that you and him need to practice Soul Magic."

"Should I talk to Dumbledore about the egg?"

"Probably. It depends on if you are unsure about Draco bonding to it."

"Well, considering the unlikelyness of the bond, I would have to say that I am."

Draco interrupted, "What do you mean, it's unlikely?"

"When forming a 'Mother's Love Bond', One must both care for the dragon immensely in some way, and must be mentally compatible with it. How compatibility is determined or detected is unknown to me, so I must assume that compatibility is unlikely."

"So, what? Do we keep watching eggs hatch until one bonds to me?"

Luna poked in, "Well, you could force compatibility by forming a typical bond with it before birth, couldn't you?"

Everyone looked to Harry for feedback, who was more skilled at Soul Magic than everyone there but Luna. He slowly nodded for a few seconds, squinting at a randomly picked wooden plank of Hogwarts' front gate before entering Hogwarts. "Yes, it could work. Typical bonds morph into potent bonds all the time. It would have to be caring and slow, but it could work. That means that we will have to get the egg only days or weeks after it is laid, maybe the day of. There might be other problems as well."

Draco's face would have gotten paler if it were possible, "What problems?"

"You must do it very carefully, very slowly, and must always give it a certain set of responses when given certain stimuli. If you do not slowly introduce yourself with it as if you have already formed a Mother's Love Bond with it, it will assume that you are separate from its mother before it is even born, making a bond impossible. That means that you must suffer every symptom of the bond without mitigating them. Also , feeling that you are experiencing these symptoms, particularly the night terrors, will cause the draclet to become stressed, which has the slight chance to stop its heart. This could easily be avoided if someone is monitoring the draclet's mind at all times. However, that means that those that are monitoring it cannot be there when the draclet hatches, since that risks the bond being made to the wrong person. We must also consider the mental sensitivity of both Luna and I. If we were within mental distance to the draclet while it is hatching, the chances of us forming a Mother's Love Bond to the draclet is far greater than yours, assuming that one of us has formed a bond with it, even if we have a superficial bond already put in place to monitor it and yours has turned grey while you have been experiencing the symptoms of the Mother's Love Bond."

"…Well, I guess that means that you cannot keep it alive."

"No, it just means that if one of us does monitor it, we cannot be there at the hatching. That means that we must know when the hatching will occur. Can you remember that, Luna?"

"Yes." She stated calmly. Harry noticed that her mind was not focused on the conversation. They were walking into the Great Hall now. Remus had left them and joined Severus at the professor's table moments before. Luna's mind darted into his and settled there, eventually melting her thoughts with his.

Waxing romantic tones, Harry whispered with his thoughts, _"_ _Your hand is so warm compared to mine, Luna."_

 _"_ _If I were a lamia, I would wrap myself around you at night to warm you."_

 _"_ _That sentence is strangely attractive. I wonder if we could make that happen."_

 _"_ _Knowing you, you probably have at least two different ways to accomplish that by now, just so I could immobilize you with my snake-like lower-half at night."_

 _"_ _In my Wolf Form, perhaps?"_

Luna's vocal chords became lupine long enough for her to utter a single, low-pitched howl that sounded more like a growl than a howl. Like the lupine equivalent of moaning. She then pulled on Harry's arm and wrapped her arm around his waist. For a normal couple, walking so close together would have been near impossible to do gracefully, but this couple's movements were synchronized perfectly. Also unlike any normal couple, they were unfazed by the envious glances and whistling noises directed at them by the older members of the Great Hall, not including the professors, of course. Dumbledore and Hagrid did smile at them, though. Snape seemed not to notice.

They took a seat together in the center of the Ravenclaw table closest to the Gryffindors: Neville and Ron were across the aisle from them. Seconds later, everything settled down to a dull hum from the conversations in the Hall. McGonagall stood and brought the sorting hat and stool to the front of the room. She then moved to the Hall's doors to allow the first years in.

The crowd was the usual gaggle of kids with their eyes wide open. As per the usual, half of them spotted him immediately and refused to take their eyes off of him. Whispers of, 'It's Harry Potter!' and, 'The Boy Who Lived!' leaked from the awestruck sorcerers-to-be. Seconds later, the rest of the first years and most of the Great Hall were focused intently upon him. They took note, and were astounded by, the physical changes that had occurred to him over the summer. The red stripe of Hair, slitted eyes, shark-like fangs, and forked, black tongue that flitted out was something that no one had expected Harry Potter to have on him, considering his apparent dislike of Voldemort.

Harry tasted many scents that betrayed a mix of emotions. Mostly awe, a considerable amount of fear, and, (did his tongue betray him?), a slight amount of lust. Harry decided to ignore that last one until Luna held him tighter; forcing him to realize that it was Luna he had tasted. Harry instinctively hugged her back and leaned over. Knowing the other's mind, each knew the other had wanted to kiss for a while. It had been their first. It was followed by an immediate bout of "EEEEEEWWW!" from the eleven-year-olds before them, and a series of hefty laughter from several older men in the room, including Dumbledore. Harry and Luna didn't even flinch.

Seconds later, Harry surfaced and now had enough courage to look at the group of young children for the first time. While ignoring Professor McGonagall's severe looks and Snape's sneers, Harry was able to pick out Dudley, who was the largest person in the group of children, being possibly the only person in that group who had begun to experience puberty. By the time Harry spotted him, Dudley had already been looking at him. His face was terribly pale and Harry thought that he was going to feint. Luna, sensing this also, asked with her mind;

 _"_ _Do you think he'll pass out if we speak into his mind?"_

 _"_ _Yes. Just smile at him. Perhaps wave as well. His comparative size to the others should leave him with enough confidence to stay standing. I think I will need to speak to him tomorrow night, as well."_

 _"_ _Very well"_

Harry and Luna smiled brilliantly and waved at him. His color seemed to return as well. He inhaled deeply, letting it out smoothly while looking forward once more. Harry noticed that McGonagall's face seemed sour for a fraction of a second, though the reason for this was unknown, as it seemed disconnected from Dudley.

The professor took out a long scroll of parchment and began reading,

"The Sorting Hat will see into your mind and determine which house you belong to. Each house exemplifies a certain personality. Gryffindor represents courage, Ravenclaw; intelligence, Hufflepuff; loyalty, and Slytherin; cunning. Keep in mind your past decisions and current desires for this to be as accurate as possible."

Harry then zoned out until Luna interrupted his thoughts with, _"_ _Why does your mind wander?"_

This question was never answered. "Dursley, Dudley!" called McGonagall to the crowd. About one fourth had been sorted already. Harry, feeling tempted to see what the hat had to say to Dudley, snuck inside of his mind. Seconds later, Dudley had made his way to the front and had the hat on. This is what Harry heard.

 _"_ _Another Potter relation? I sense a dichotomy with you as well. With him, it was between Gryffindor and Slytherin the most, though he fit all of the house requirements. You are much simpler than him, not that it is an insult, but I sense in you a similar challenge. Your mind keeps flitting to all of them, then comes back to Slytherin and Hufflepuff. What is most interesting are the moments that you helped Harry against your parent's will. Let's puzzle this out. Hmm…What do we have here?"_

Harry's mind was ripped from Dudley's and trapped inside of one that he hadn't met before. Everything was black and empty. He couldn't get out. However, he felt that there was something around, though he didn't know what. A voice came from all around him,

 _"_ _You appear to have snagged your cousin, Dudley. Now that he has left your mind I can plainly see that you are not as complicated as I had thought. The choice is obvious."_

"HUFFLEPUFF!" cheers came from the Hufflepuff table. Harry felt himself released from the hat's mental cage, now able to expand his mind to its original reach. Dudley got up from the stool looking confused. He looked at Harry one last time before sitting down. Many other kids welcomed him kindly, and he seemed to be relieved because of this. Harry, sensing Luna searching their minds for any information on how to cure the dementors, began doing the same. About an hour later, the first years were sorted.

Dumbledore stood and walked around the professor's table to address the school.

"Excellent. I am sure that you wish to dig into the feast that we have prepared for you, but for that you will have to wait. I would like to make some announcements. I would like to introduce our two newest professors. First, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin."

A round of applause as Remus stood and smiled awkwardly. He sat and Dumbledore began again,

"Next, the new Care of Magical Creatures professor, Rubeus Hagrid."

Another round of applause as Hagrid stood (accidentally moving the table in the process) and smiled at Harry broadly. Harry smiled and waved. Hagrid waved back. Snape looked at Hagrid like he was a smelly troll when he moved the table. The applause, which was much louder than it was for Remus, failed to die down within the minute it began, mixed as it was with laughter.

"Also a few reminders. I would like to inform all students that The Forbidden Forest is off limits to any who wish to avoid a painful death. And, students are not permitted to ride a broomstick during their first year."

The crowd groaned at these reminders, feeling that the laws took away their fun. Some of the first years asked those around them why anyone would be so stupid as to ride a broomstick.

"And finally, a security matter. Recently, a dark wizard has escaped from Azkaban."

Silence filled the hall. Harry's hair stood up on the back of his neck. He could taste the fear swelling in the room.

"Because of this, certain security measures have been put into place. From this point until the threat is taken care of, all packages and letters sent into Hogwarts will be read and checked for harmful artifacts and enchantments. All students will be screened for dark artifacts and enchantments. No students may leave the school except on Christmas break or on specific times and days dedicated to Hogsmead. No students, no matter what the year, may be outside of their dormitories after the sun goes down or after seven in the afternoon. No students may leave their dormitories until after seven in the morning. Any students with classes beyond these time limits are not allowed to be anywhere but inside the classroom during these times. All students will be escorted by staff members to each of their classes. Any students caught breaking these rules will lose their house 50 points automatically, and many more depending on the offense."

The fear grew considerably. Harry heard the thoughts of those around him as a series of terrified yelling and whispers. Some thought in the form of pictures, and those were nightmarish. Harry's mind began to split into two. One side enjoyed and lusted for the terror; the other feared and hated it. One began to think about slicing with claws and biting with fangs, the other thought of running away. Luna and Norberta intervened powerfully, thrusting memories and sensations of calm and sleep into Harry's mind. It only slowed him down. Dumbledore looked at Harry before he sat down and conversations broke out around him. Nothing of the minds of the others knew about a werewolf on the verge of losing control in their midst. Seconds of silent battling went by and it appeared that the tide had turned and Harry would win. The fear in the hall was dying down. Then Harry heard someone from Gryffindor ask him cordially,

"Is there something wrong, Harry?" Harry didn't realize that he had been grabbing his head because he had a terrible migraine. The person's eyes widened almost immediately. Luna looked at the boy angrily and the temperature around her increased. Harry weakly said,

"Just a migraine. It'll go away soon."

The fear from this one individual mounted, "Why are you having a migraine?"

Harry felt his own fear of being discovered a werewolf cause him to go through an adrenaline rush. Luna yelled into his mind, knowing that he was about to transform,

 _"_ _The potion, Harry!"_

Silver fur slowly began to crop up all over his body as Harry reached into his right coat pocket for a powerful sleeping potion he had forgotten about until now. He saved at least two of these for emergencies such as this; one for him and another werewolf. He opened the bottle and drank all of it in one quick gulp. Just as his teeth and nails began to change, it took effect. Rather than knocking him out (it could knock out an elephant for several hours) it simply calmed him down. His adrenalin rush died and his body felt weak. The transformation was reversed. Luna sighed in relief. Harry looked to the person who was asking him about the migraine. It was Neville.

Harry spoke to him weakly, "Never ask me why I am having a migraine, Neville."

Neville nodded, looking immensely relieved. "Very well, Harry." He then looked around. His eyes stopped at the professor's table. Neville then went back to eating the food that had appeared before them.

Harry looked at the professor's table. The entire staff was looking at him. Dumbledore was smiling, though his eyes appeared serious, unaffected by the smile and piercing as always. Remus' face was pale and blank, eyes going back to his dinner as soon as Harry noticed him, though looking as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders when he did. Snape had an intense look that Harry couldn't read. Hagrid hadn't noticed anything and was waving at him in-between bites of roasted chicken. McGonagall looked even more worried than she had at the front gate, left hand and fork stabbing a scallop while the right hand was undoubtedly clutching her wand within her robes, prepared to incapacitate Harry at a moment's notice. Flitwick looked vastly interested, and was, too, focused on Harry. He also appeared to be writing notes on a parchment he had beside his clam chowder. Seconds later, they resumed their meal, taking no notice of Harry any more. Flitwick put his parchment back into his robes and Dumbledore took out a package of beef jerky, smelling the package with a toothy grin.

Harry was angry that the cure Luna invented had limits and glad that the professors were prepared to do what it took to fix it. Other than the professors, only Luna and Neville seem to have noticed the episode. Half way into his mashed potatoes and gravy, a deep voice toned nasally behind him,

"Follow me, Potter. Bring Lovegood with you." Severus strode away. Luna got up and hauled Harry to his feet. He seemed sluggish from the sleeping potion. Harry noticed that the Professor's table was empty. They followed Snape closely, arriving at the entrance to Dumbledore's study. Snape intoned, "Jerky," with a pronounced sneer. The Gryphon began spiraling upward, producing a spiral staircase in its wake. Riding the staircase, Harry came in range to several minds, all of which seemed to be staff members.

Opening the great doors of the study, Harry realized that everyone that had noticed him at the professor's table were there, as well as Madam Pomfrey. Snape gave a blank stare. Flit wick's eyes were darting from Luna's to Harry's silently, apparently attempting to take in their reactions. McGonagall's hands were in their coat pockets. Remus' eyebrows were scrunched together, as if worried about something.

When Luna and Harry came to a stop, Dumbledore picked up his wand lying on his desk and drew a single line in the air. Behind each person in the room except Dumbledore, a thick and soft chair appeared out of thin air. After this occurred, Dumbledore said,

"I feel that we will have much to talk about tonight, so please sit."


	15. News and Revelation

Luna, after sitting, said, "What will the other students do if the feast ends and you are not there?"

"I left corporeal copies of the present professors in our stead. Other than me and Severus, that is."

Harry smiled at the rhyming while sitting as well. The professors and nurse followed suit, minus the smiling. Dumbledore began again,

"Harry. I noticed you had difficulty taking the news of the escaped prisoner. Would you care to explain why?"

"…Well, it wasn't the news itself, but the people's reaction to the news that caused me to act the way that I did."

"Explain."

"You do remember my reaction to fear during the dueling club last year?"

"Yes, but that was because the reaction was directed towards you."

"Yes, this time it carried the same magnitude, but it affected me less because it wasn't directed towards me until, that is, Neville asked me if I was OK and then realized what was going on. That's when I took a sleeping potion to slow the effects of the fear."

Snape interrupted, "May I see this potion?"

Harry said, "I drank all of it, but I have an identical solution you can test."

"Just give me the original bottle, Harry." He said, barely moving his mouth. Harry gave him the bottle and Snape smelled its contents. He dropped the bottle on the floor, cracking it, and began coughing as if the carbonation in his pumpkin juice had gotten to his nose.

"How concentrated did you make it!" He yelled as soon as he had recovered, "You could have stopped your heart! Could still! Why haven't you passed out yet?!"

Harry responded calmly, "I would much rather stop my own heart with a potion than stop several other's hearts by tearing them out of their chests with my claws."

"What kind of answer is that? You are ignorant. Lazy. Arrogant. Were you even thinking about Luna when you made it?"

"Actually, considering how close she is to me all of the time, her safety is the reason why I had her make them. The safety of the other students and potentially some teachers was an added bonus. By the way, professor McGonagall, my experiences with electrical currents has left me highly resistant to most forms of offensive magic. I would consider using spells that are not based on the manipulation of electrical currents." After that last comment, the professor took her hands out of her pockets.

Snape continued, "You had her make it? A potion of this concentration requires restricted information. This is proof that one of you stole a book from the restricted section."

"Actually, this is proof that I know a little bit about cooking. All we did was make several servings of simple and powerful sleeping potion, enough servings to do what we needed if taken all at once, then we boiled it down until there was only one extremely potent version of the same potion."

"Without the book from the restricted section, you had no idea how it would have effected you."

"Actually, Luna and I did a little test. I tested to see my reaction to the sleep potions while going through an adrenaline rush compared to normal. We estimated that the adrenaline rush reduces its potency by nine times; so we made eight sleeping potions, reducing by one for safety, and boiled them down to one sleeping potion."

"But it didn't cause you to pass out like it would have had you not gone through the adrenaline rush."

"That is simply because, on top of being less effective, it takes longer to take full effect when it encounters the adrenaline rush." Severus suddenly noticed that Harry's eyes were drooping and he was slouching in his chair. Luna spoke up,

"Given my calculations, Harry should be passing out any minute. That doesn't mean that this conversation is over, since I know everything that he knows and can answer any of your questions."

"Thank you, Luna." Said Harry tiredly, laying his head back onto the low-backed chair. Before Luna could say 'you're welcome', she heard him begin snoring and felt his consciousness become uniformly 'grey,' a term they adopted for the incoherent stream of thoughts that occur the moment you pass out. These eventually form into dreams that Luna can 'see.'

Flitwick, taking out a piece of parchment and self-inking quill, asked the next question, "I want to know of every mutation and special ability that Harry possesses."

"Unfortunately, Harry told me to never utter a single syllable of those details around those that I would not trust with my life. I currently trust Dumbledore, as it was him that saved my life in the Chamber of Secrets, and McGonagall, for obvious reasons. I could trust you, professor with the basic details of Harry's abilities and communicate them to you alone, but that would require you allowing me access to every corner of your mind. Also, if I find that your mind is encased in a maze, I'm afraid that I can never tell you anything about Harry's combat abilities."

"I understand. Is there any way that you can check me now and then speak it to me mentally?"

"Yes, but you can only write in a way that no one else will be able to read."

"Understood." Flitwick nodded. As soon as his chin lowered to nod, Luna shot a mental spike into his mind. He flinched, his eyes instinctively clamped shut in pain, and he breathed sharply inward through his clenched teeth. Snape grew incredibly interested at the strength of Luna's attack, McGonagall forced herself to allow Luna to continue, Dumbledore simply raised an eyebrow, and Madam Pomfrey remained reactionless. Seconds later, it was over and Flitwick relaxed.

"Wow. You have quite the mind, Luna." Flitwick commented, taking up his quill and waiting for mental communication. Snape simply asked another question,

"How is it that your mind is so powerful, yet Harry was incapacitated by a dementor's attack?"

"Harry does not want to cause any harm to the dementors, given their current disposition. He believes that he could cure them of their need to drain good feelings to survive by implanting them with a self-sustaining patronus. He feels that if he fights any of them, it would become harder to convince them to take the cure. Considering the current dementor-wizard relations, I would say that it is a legitimate concern."

McGonagall spoke now, "So, after curing the werewolves of their uncontrollable bloodlust every full moon and accidentally starting a political werewolf revolution, you want to cure the dementors as well?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because the dementors are being terribly mistreated for having to feed on happiness to survive. I want to make their lives easier. I want dementors to be able to live in a place other than Azkaban, to have human friends and even be able to learn and go to school just like us."

Snape spoke up, "Do you have any idea what consequences that would include? How easily a dementor could go missing for months, then appear out of nowhere in a populated area and kill every living thing within mental reach? It would be like allowing hundreds of nuclear bombs to have a consciousness and then do whatever they want to."

"Do you realize that our current treatment of the dementors is doing exactly that, except worse? Giving them the ideological goal to kill all wizards, as they see us as their jailors? Would you be willing to take the risk of forcing their hand by refusing their cure, causing them to plot against us? Don't you know that there is a rather disturbing chance that they are already doing so? If so, I wouldn't disagree with making a cure. It would be the first step to disarming these 'nuclear bombs.' Also consider-"

"I think we understand, Luna." Interrupted Dumbledore, "I will speak to you on this more in private. Now, please communicate, to both Flitwick and I, Harry's full unique abilities and include your own as well."

"Will you tell the ministry, Dumbledore?"

"Only that which is necessary, Luna."

"What is necessary?"

"Pithy bits of information that they would figure out on their own anyway. I recommend that you don't go flaunting your powers." He said with a twinkle in his eye.

Luna nodded, smiling at Dumbledore's slight. She entered the minds of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick slowly, knowing that their minds may be fragile in comparison to Luna's mental presence. She was satisfied that they were actually more powerful than she had expected them to be. While she drifted in, she noticed that Dumbledore's mind only contained simple action information, and was devoid of thoughts and feelings, as if his mind was elsewhere. Or, perhaps he had figured out a way to make it impossible for her to see the core of his mind? Perhaps she will ask.

 _"_ _Dumbledore? Why can't I see your mind?"_

Suddenly, his mind became active, but still less active than most, _"_ _Because my mind is inactive. Do you not know how to do this?"_

 _"_ _No, and neither does Harry."_

 _"_ _I will have Severus teach you and him later. For now, please tell us what Flitwick has asked for."_

Flitwick mentally nodded (the motor function bleeds across the connection) and Luna began, _"_ _Do you want combat functions only, or everything?"_

Flitwick answered, _"_ _As we are mentally the only ones here, I would recommend everything."_

 _"_ _Very well. Dumbledore, can you help close this conversation off from everyone else?"_

 _"_ _Already am, Luna."_

 _"_ _Alright. So, from before he even attended school, Harry demonstrated a proclivity for Unaided Growth Magic. Since then, he has become capable of re-growing entire limbs and replacing entire organ systems within several people at once without using a wand. He has also discovered how to create entirely new life forms. My home is a good example of this, as he has mutated a Lotus flower to become blue with golden specks, grow like a vine, and grow as aggressively as bamboo. When its seeds have been fertilized, it literally flies off and reaches a very high altitude. Hours later, it creates a fiery explosion, forcing the seeds down into the earth like darts. This flower he has called the Eternity Flower, which he has covered my house with._

 _"_ _The next abilities that Harry was able to gain were Shadow Magic and Soul Magic. Shadow Magic he attained just three days before boarding the Hogwarts Express. Shadow Magic is the manipulation of the essence of shadows, a common magical substance called Nether. Today, he can use the shadows to do many things, such as engulf an entire area in darkness, or transform himself temporarily into shadow (causing him to be invulnerable from attack). He can also use this magic for flight, neutralizing spells, or even creating creatures out of shadow. Though a highly useful branch of Unaided Magic, Shadow Magic of any type can be canceled or destroyed with enough light-based spells, such as the otherwise harmless_ Lumos.

 _"_ _He had attained Soul Magic just a month after arriving at Hogwarts, though he had already gotten a pet snake, Thana, before then, as he could speak Parseltongue. He then made mental bonds with every living thing he met, including over half of the school, a giant arachnid colony, and a dragon that he formed a Mother's Love bond with upon witnessing it hatch. This dragon he has named Norberta._

 _"_ _The snake itself turned out to be a giant snake, only a baby when Harry got him, though he held the dimension and appearance of an adult Black Python, and was mistaken for a Black Python by the manager of the Magical Menagerie. Later, it was put into the Forbidden Forest by him that same year and is now Caroline's Mate, holding a bond very similar to a Veela Bond. Caroline herself, a true basilisk, was bonded to Harry and I just last year when we fought Voldemort within the Chamber of Secrets. Then there is me, who formed a true Veela Bond with him at the beginning of last year, and Lucy, a dementor who formed a simple silver bond with us after we discovered her within a hotel run by a fellow named Tiberius, who houses those that aren't entirely human._

 _"_ _He learned the other forms of Unaided Magic in the lessons that he holds for the students, operating one lesson ahead. With Flame Magic, used in tandem with Wind Magic, he can turn a small forest to ash in about an hour, engulf the same forest with flame in seconds, and is much better at focusing the fire into beams and blades rather than waves like me. With Water Magic, he is now able to use the moisture in the air and in living things to match his will. He hasn't trained that much in Water Magic, and has gotten as far as changing the form of water into ice and making weapons and armor out of it, though it is very cold, not spell resistant, and melts too quickly and is too weak for any extended battle, even though it is twice as dense as typical ice. He can, however, freeze targets solid, launch ice spikes at targets, breath underwater, and walk on water._

 _"_ _Energy Magic, on the other hand, is something that interests him greatly. Ever since Christmas, he has worn one of several identical black cloaks that are lined with thin copper twine. It has energy trapping and substance cooling enchantments on it that activate whenever it produces much heat. This cloak is capable of supporting a practically limitless amount of watts, as the enchantments I've put in place prevent the suit from melting and the wire from giving off an amount of heat that grows exponentially over time. As the enchantments take energy from the electricity in the copper wire to support their functions, the electrical efficiency is at about 85% when the enchantments are active. This suit, with its matching glove, allows him to redirect any electricity-based spell, such as the killing curse that Voldemort had hit him with in the Chamber of Secrets. However, in order for the suit to be of much use, Harry must be intending to use or redirect electrical energy. Otherwise, the spells cast at him will simply travel through the copper wire before affecting him._

 _"_ _Though extremely useful for spell resistance, the only thing that Harry can use Energy Magic to an offensive end is to just electrocute people. It is also possible to blow people up, but that is a waste of energy. The real reason that Energy Magic is so interesting to Harry is that training in Energy Magic seems to help him cast more powerful spells easier, and increases the power of his current spells, allowing him to add on modifications to his spells, such as the various uses for his patronus, and his_ Expelliarmus _that breaks through the_ Protego, _or just causes an explosion on impact._

 _"_ _Then there are Harry's mutations. The first physical change that has occurred with him is a common case of Lycanthropy. He has experienced three forced transformations without the cure to it. Then, upon discovering a portion of his mind being closed off when in wolf form, I theorized a cure involving ripping out the wolf portion of his mind. However, it didn't work out the way that I had intended, as I was only able to rip out a division between the wolf and human portions of his mind. This allowed him to control his transformations, even made it to where he could transform part of himself, and allowed him to control himself while transformed. Harry, with my guidance, then went to a werewolf's meeting and cured everyone there. Since then, these newly cured werewolves began intentionally infecting important individuals in order to improve their social and political position. Months later, following a particularly controversial duel, we discovered that fear can force Harry into his wolf form and partially separate his wolf self from his human self, simulating an uncured werewolf during the full moon._

 _"_ _It soon became apparent that the cure had done more than free his mind. It also allowed his other mutations to manifest themselves, as well as allowed him to use Unaided Magic in his wolf form. We discovered the former during the summer break when he began to display the physical manifestations of Lamia DNA. His eyes became capable of either killing, paralyzing, or knocking out any individuals looking at his eyes as he chooses. His teeth became sharp like a shark and his canines became able to dispense a poison very much like Caroline's. His tongue became black, skinny, and forked. The skin along his spine became covered in scales, and the hair in the middle of his head was replaced by a stripe of red hair._

 _"_ _Literally a month later, while we were picking up our school supplies, we were forced to take shelter in a hotel for mutants and non-humans in Knockturn Alley; as a result of the Department of Mysteries investigating an incident where Harry accidentally killed three of their agents just as one of them attempted to murder him out of panic ."_ (Upon mentioning this event, Luna began to emanate heat like a wood stove.) _"_ _Within the hotel, I found a dementor. Harry attempted to bond with it without showing his presence. The attempt was successful, but he was detected before he could introduce himself in a positive way. Harry's automatic fear response caused the dementor to attack. Harry and I were both knocked unconscious by the power of the dementor's mind, but Tiberius was luckily conscious enough to cast a patronus. Harry later noticed that he was semi-resistant to the dementor's aura, could talk to dementors in their language like he speaks parseltongue, was stronger with shadow magic, and could fly like them, which now gives him the option of being able to duel while flying without being vulnerable to light-based attacks or having to focus on bending air, increasing his combat mobility. I sense that he can also create a dementor's aura, but he hasn't activated it yet._

 _"_ _Other than that, I have nothing to else to say on the subject."_

Flitwick spoke out loud now, "Thank you, Luna." Dumbledore simply nodded towards her, then spoke to the staff,

"Any more questions?" The room was silent, and then Snape spoke,

"I would like to tutor you both on how to defend your minds against the dementors. Will you meet with me?"

"Of course. What time and how often?"

"What time do you have?"

"I can have Ron and Neville teach the Saturday classes, allowing us an entire Saturday every week."

"Then meet me every Saturday from 7am-9am."

"Very well. Anything else?"

Flitwick spoke now, "I would like to teach you both on dueling."

Luna asked, "What do you have to offer us?"

"Plenty. I was dueling champion just out of Hogwarts. Enrolled in the regional's and went all the way to nationals within a year."

"Wow."

Dumbledore laughed deeply, "Aren't you leaving out the part where you won the world championship, Filius?"

Luna spoke, "I thought that was just a rumor."

"No, it's very true, but it happened so long ago, only avid fans of dueling know about Filius' achievement. One of which is me."

"Do you duel as well, headmaster?"

"No. I prefer to study rather than duel."

"Then why is it that you are the only one that Voldemort fears?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in the candlelight. His smile easily reached his eyes, "…I'm afraid that I'm not entirely sure. There are plenty of wizards out there for him to fear, yet he chose me."

McGonagall stated, "You must be joking. Are you forgetting your duel against Grindelwald?"

"No, and that doesn't matter. At his prime, Voldemort was far more powerful than Grindelwald."

"You are the only one other than him that has reached that height of power."

Severus spoke now, "So what you are saying is that he fears Dumbledore because he is a challenge to him? Do you remember who we are speaking of?"

"Yes, I know. And despite this, Voldemort fears Dumbledore."

Dumbledore came back, "It doesn't matter. Is there anything else that needs to be said?... Very well. Everyone except Harry and Luna; Leave us."

Just before leaving the room, McGonagall turned around and then held out a ring to Luna, "Put this on his finger and tell him to leave it on at all times. If ever he experiences an adrenaline rush, it will tell me and give me his location."

"But he has several adrenaline rushes without being in danger of turning on the students."

"As soon as I can find an enchantment that detects mind patterns, I will replace it. For the time being, I require him to wear it at all times."

"Will it contact all faculty members, or just you?"

"All of them."

"Thank you." She said, putting the ring on Harry's middle left finger. The professor then left, following the Gryphon's Staircase down. Luna turned back to Dumbledore, who surveyed Harry's appearance.

"I told them not to react negatively to his new physical features. I noticed that many of the students had in the great hall."

"Yes. People will do that."

"How did Harry take it?"

"I don't think he even noticed. He was too busy focusing on his cousin and on me. That and he can understand the minds of his peers, even though they don't understand him, so he understands why they react."

Dumbledore nodded, leaning back in his chair and tugging on his beard in concentration. "Was there anything that you and Harry wanted to ask me privately?"

Luna brought up the memories of what Harry wanted to ask Dumbledore and started with the first. "Yes. Harry believes that he has read of a cure for the dementor's need to siphon happiness. He feels like he learned it in the Room of Requirement, but can't be sure what it was about. He feels like it is some modified version of the patronus, but doesn't know how to cast it."

"I agree with his idea. If we could cure them it would help ease the suffering of an entire species. I want to know what this cure is as soon as you find it, and I want to accompany you to the dementors at the border of Hogwarts when you decide to cure the dementors with it."

"Of course Headmaster. Sir, you didn't mention the dementors at Hogwarts during your speech. Why?"

"I didn't want to set off a fear reaction for Harry to react to after that little incident during the duel last year. By now, everyone has found out anyway. Anything else?"

"Yes. Harry wants to know if a select few of his friends could become werewolves."

"No. All it would take for hell to break loose is a single moment of intense fear within the Great Hall. I would rather not risk the safety of every human in this school."

"I thought so. Thank you, Dumbledore. Harry also wanted to tell you that he is going to explore the chamber of secrets for proof that he is Slytherin's Heir."

"It's about time. He may go if he wishes, but I insist that you and I be there with him. We can't have one of Tom's traps hurting or killing him."

"Who is Tom?"

"Tom Marvolo Riddle is the true name of the one your friends call Voldemort, and who everyone else calls You-Know-Who."

"Oh. Well… Thanks for your help. This next one is more personal. Is there any way you could turn my bottom half into a snake's?"

Dumbledore's eyebrow arched slightly and his head tilted, looking at an area of space to the left of Luna and unfocusing his eyes. He eventually looked back at Luna, "Do you want the change to be permanent?"

"No. Just a temporary aesthetic physical change."

"Why?"

"It's personal."

Dumbledore smiled, "It's for Harry, isn't it?"

"…you know me almost as much as Harry does."

"How did the Lamia-like bottom-half get brought up between you?"

"I mentioned it in a romantic way. He liked it."

"I see. Since it is temporary, it will have to be carried out by either something you wear or something you do. I suggest something you do while you wear a specific object, as that would make it much easier for me to create a reliable result. However, we could have the enchantment implanted rather than worn. It could be real or an illusion. Illusions cost more concentration and energy than physical changes over time, but physical changes cost more than illusions do the moment it is cast. Since I think you plan on 'wearing' the change for hours, I think we will go with the real. Which of these options do you want?"

"I want it to function like Unaided Magic that has a static effect, or like transforming into my wolf form. I want to focus on having that specific change, and then have that change last without effort until I focus on reversing the change."

"That will be simple enough. What properties do you want to carry over, other than the tail end?"

"I also want my back and arms to be partially covered in scales."

"What color scales?"

"….Hmmm….What do you think?"

"I have no opinion."

"Well…perhaps pure white."

"Pure white it is." Dumbledore slipped a small piece of parchment out of his pocket and began writing small symbols on it. He stroked his beard every couple of seconds, pausing to read what he wrote, and then crossed off certain symbols. Eventually, he stared at a series of three symbols for several minutes before grunting and sitting up from his chair.

"Now there's only one last thing to do. Luna, I assume that your body undergoes a minor version of what Harry goes through, never showing obvious physical changes?"

"Yes."

"Then the tail itself just may be hidden in your DNA, as a result of Harry's lamia relations, since female lamia usually have a snake-like tail. We could change, activate, and deactivate that DNA at will with the right enchantments. First I must map your cognitive process while you take on your wolf form. Then I must create a second, similar process within your mind, linking it to a very specific strain of DNA within every cell of your body. We can also modify the color of your scales at will while creating the enchantment, but it will be a permanent change once made. You could also link it to your mood or your will, allowing it to change according to one of those."

"Let's link it to my will."

"Very well. Here we go." He took out the slip of parchment again and wrote in an extra character and took a dot off of the third character, then placed it on the new character. He then took out his wand and pointed it at Luna, saying, "Let me into your mind, and then transform into wolf form."

Dumbledore slipped into Luna's mind, lightly pressing against every wall. Luna walked to the front of the room and transformed, simply shifting to all fours after the change, letting out a slight growl of pleasure, as the transformation releases a great amount of tension in the muscles and stops most aches. Dumbledore left her mind and began writing on the paper again, then entered her mind and said, "OK, now transform back."

She did so, and then sat next to Harry again. Dumbledore scribbled on the parchment some more, then took out his wand again, pointed it at her, looked at the parchment briefly, and then his wand created a flash of blinding light. The skin all over Luna's body crawled and she felt all of her hair rise on end. Then the feeling settled down and she let go of a breath she didn't notice she was holding.

"I have completed the enchantment. It will take some practice, distinguishing from your Lamia and Wolf forms, but you will do it. You can begin your practice now, as I have included the replacement of your clothes while transforming, much like an animagus' change, except it only effects your bottom half. Make sure you keep in mind the color you want as well as the type of transformation."

"Thank you very much, but I think it is time that we get to bed as soon as possible."

"Very well. I will escort you to your quarters."

"No, we wanted to sleep in the Forbidden Forest. "

"Not acceptable. The castle has protections that even a dragon cannot offer. I would prefer you were in the center of a castle like Hogwarts rather than out in the middle of a forest. From now on, you are only allowed inside the castle unless required by your education, and only if accompanied by many people."

"What about visiting Norberta and Caroline?"

"Mental exchanges and shared dreams will have to suffice as a replacement. Until Black is caught, at least."

"Why? It's not like he's going to try to kill Harry or anything. He's innocent, remember?"

"You are right, as Black is indeed innocent. However, I am worried of what Harry will do to him, not what he will do to Harry."

"Why?"

"I will not tell you. However, you must promise to not let Harry go looking for him."

"Why-"

"Promise me."

"Why, though?"

Dumbledore rubbed his face with his hands and sighed deeply. He slowly opened them to look at Luna with an intense stare. "There is something that I cannot tell you. That something may motivate him to try to kill either Black or someone else, depending on who he blames."

"For what?"

"I cannot tell you. Please don't go looking for the answers to these questions. If you truly love Harry, you will not give him, or yourself, this heavy burden. Promise me."

The room became swelteringly hot. "You dare question my love for him?"

"No." Dumbledore stated firmly.

Luna's hair became fire and she clenched her fists, yet still talking calmly just the same. "Then why would you say that?"

"Because it could destroy him."

Luna calmed and sat down again, her hair replacing the curtain of fire on her head, "How?"

"…Luna, to kill someone on purpose deals great damage to one's self. You will notice a change in him the moment the deed is done, and not for the better. Even if he killed for what he believes to be a good reason, it is impossible to make it to the other side unscathed. Your bonds with him may even weaken, and living with him will become more difficult, as his very being would change to the point of legitimately calling him a different person. He can, over several years, become well again, but he will always carry with him the scars."

She felt herself cool down as what Dumbledore said sank in for her. She shifted gears from defensive to curious, "How much damage can it do?"

"In terms of damage he would receive, at its very worst, it exceeds even the slowest death. Even if that death were yours and not his."

"Then he must not know what Black has done?"

"Not only that. He must remain ignorant of the entire matter. The less he knows, the better."

"You forget that we share all memories with each other. He will know of this."

"Good, then he will know what to avoid and why." Dumbledore stated, returning to his calm self, abandoning the troubled man Luna had seen just moments earlier.

"You really care, don't you?" Luna said, smiling brightly at him.

"More than you can currently understand." Dumbledore said tiredly, half smiling back. "Now, anything else you wish to ask me?"

"…Umm," Luna scratched her head in thought, "…Umm….uh-yes! Yes I do. Um…well…let's assume that we found out a way to stimulate a Mother's Love bond."

"OK."

"Then let's assume that a student within this school desperately wants to share a bond such as this with a dragon."

"I'm not surprised. Go on."

"First question, would you allow us to carry out the procedure?"

"I would have to know where the egg was coming from, who was bonding with the hatching dragon, and how the procedure will be carried out. If I find all of these things satisfactory, then yes. Also, if it doesn't work, then the dragon needs to be returned to its proper facility. I also think that it would be wise to tell me what type of dragon is being hatched. Remember, once the bond is made, the student will become more like the dragon than what he or she was before."

"Ok. So, where do you think we would get a dragon's egg?"

Dumbledore sat there, looking at his desk and flexing his brow, for about a minute before saying, "Your chance will come in a year. Otherwise, gaining a dragon's egg will force you to have a period of unexplained absences, which will both put you very behind in your classes as well as make you take the entire year over again."

"Why?"

"It takes a trip to a dragon's reserve, where you must then wander around a ton of unbound dragons, both mentally and physically, and find a mother, which are the most aggressive, no matter what the type, and then figure out some way to get an egg from the dragon without being killed. Trust me, Luna, you will want to wait until next year."

"I'll take your word for it." Luna stated simply, taking a mental note, then got up and said, "I have nothing else to tell you or ask you, so we should probably get going." On the way out, she picked up Harry and carried him out

"Very well," said Dumbledore, also rising and following Luna all the way to their room. When they got there, Dumbledore said, "I hope that your year goes well. Good night, and be careful."

"Good night, Dumbledore." Luna walked into her common room, where she was greeted by Fang and Shadow, their winged lions. She was followed by the lions as she set Harry on one side of a queen-sized bed in their bedroom. She then tried to activate her Lamia mutation, but changed into a werewolf instead.

After several moments of failure and a quarter of an hour of time, she finally had her bottom half become that of a snake's. It was jet black and shiny. Her lower back and outer upper arms had scales of the same color. Looking in the mirror, she noticed that her eyes were slitted, yet still blue. As the cold seeped into her blood, her increasing lethargy reminded her that Dumbledore had mentioned that it would make her cold-blooded.

"Whoa. Is that you, Luna?" Harry said, waking up from the potion.

"Yes." Luna said airily, looking at herself in the mirror.

"So, you took that Lamia mutation idea to the next level, huh?"

"Yep."

Harry became his wolf form, and Luna wrapped herself around him. With his mind, Harry said, _"_ _Goodnight, Luna."_

 _"_ _Goodnight,"_ said she, seconds before Harry passed out. Her surroundings were suddenly freezing, given her transformation, and the bed and Harry's fur was very warm.

-oOoOo-

Harry woke up to see Luna's smiling, slitted eyes in front of him. It took a second for him to realize why he couldn't move.

"You're pretty strong, Luna." Harry attempted to say, but the only thing that came out was a strange howling sound. Luna smiled wider at this, stroking Harry's fur.

 _"_ _You're warm."_ Luna thought to him.

 _"_ _You're strong."_ Harry thought back. The words between them weren't much, but the feelings passing between them were the feelings you would expect a newlywed couple to feel. Harry changed back to his human form, as did Luna, just before their alarm clock rang.

 _"_ _Uh oh."_ Started Harry.

 _"_ _Yep. Our alarm clock hates us."_

 _"_ _Yes, but I doubt it could stop us."_

 _"_ _We would be late to class, Harry."_

 _"…_ _..You're right. I suppose we should eat, then."_ The food, though delicious, didn't taste as good as fresh deer. After three bloody, yet seasoned, steaks, Luna and Harry joined their friends in the Great Hall to talk to them as they ate. Draco showed up at the Ravenclaw table halfway through, asking the obvious,

"What did Dumbledore say about the egg?"

Harry, having been caught up on the details of last night, was able to respond, "He said, rather cryptically, to wait until next year."

"But-"

"Unfortunately, I don't think that he would have budged unless he knew that there was a way that I could get a dragon's egg without unnecessarily risking my life. Also, because of this Serious Black thing, half of the world has their eye on me, waiting for Black to pop out of nowhere and try to kill me. I won't be able to do it this year, Draco. I'm being watched."

That's when the mail arrived. There were hundreds of owls painting the sky seen portrayed by the ceiling above. Hedwig was the first owl Harry spotted, and she gave Luna a copy of The Daily Prophet, upon which he saw his own face.

"Usually I don't read the news, but given that I just incinerated a reporter's notes and quill, I decided to see what she had to say against us in revenge."

"Are newspaper companies really that petty?"

"Wizarding papers are. Besides, most of the stuff they say is a load of garbage meant to excite and enrage the readers. It's more for entertainment than anything else. If you want to read something with at least some truth, I recommend the Quibbler. My dad's the author and editor."

"Perhapse. What's on The Daily Prophet? I think I saw my face on the front cover."

"Let's see here."

 **Harry Potter Planning Werewolf Attacks?**

 _"_ _Yikes. It's bad already."_ Harry thought to Luna as he read the paper by seeing through her eyes. She merely grunted and read on.

 _Local businessman reports large shipments of dittany infused with silver sent to known Potter residence._

For those who don't know, Harry Potter has succeeded in creating a cure to forced lycanthropy just this last year. This allows werewolves to infect non-werewolves at any time. Because of this, attacks on both children and adults by werewolves have increased dramatically. "For some reason, it seems that these new bite victims, though great in number, always have a vial of the stuff [Dittany] either near them or in their cloak pocket…that they don't remember putting there…A disturbing number of these victims are children." Said the Director of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies.

This leads us to ask the question 'who is organizing these attacks?' The answer came from a local businessman, who will remain anonymous for his and his families' safety. "There are two customers of mine that have bought a great amount more dittany than the average customer…the other of which is Harry Potter."

The man said that these customers have so far bought over 11,120 vials of dittany infused with silver, almost perfectly matching the number of werewolf victims that have come about as a result of Harry Potter's cure. Could Harry Potter be conspiring with other werewolves to attack us?

We were later approached by an esteemed Ministry employee, Ms. Umbridge, on werewolf attacks being committed against other Ministry workers; "I have so far been attacked by those brutes three times since last month, unsuccessfully of course… by now, about three fourths of the ministry staff has been infected. Not only that, but most of the victims of werewolves that the Ministry comes in contact with are their own small children." Despite the relatively small number of attacks against Ministry employees, most of them are infected. This is because the main strategy that these werewolves are employing is to infect the children and then allow the children to infect the rest of the family during their first full moon, which is now the only full moon in which a 'cured' werewolf has to transform.

Because of these facts, the Ministry of Magic has asked us to urge our readers to never be outside alone or without a wand, to isolate all werewolf victims during their first full moon, to keep a close eye on anyone suspected of being a werewolf, and to put wards around your houses to protect against werewo-

Harry watched through Luna's eyes as the paper he was reading was burned to ash almost instantly, and the world became red. He felt the anger radiating from her in eye-watering waves. Or was that the fire making his eyes water? Either way she was flaming pissed, which meant that she was about to set someone on fire. Perhaps one of Harry's students could take a sudden combustion, but there was a table full of Slytherins just begging to be incinerated. Harry and Norberta began immediately applying good emotions to Luna's mind, soaking her in it like water. Seconds went to minutes and then Luna's fire died down.

"Well, you did say that the Quibbler was more accurate." Harry stated calmly.

"Yes. I think that they just proved me right."

"Yes they did. Do you think we should talk to Greyback about his activities?"

"How can we? Do we know where he is?"

"No. He disappeared after I cured him."

"That figures. How do we find him again?"

"I don't know. Wait for news of him, perhaps?" Just then, Hedwig swooped in to drop off another package. A bottle of dittany infused with silver. Half of the Great Hall cleared off after seeing that, the other half just stared wide-eyed, laughed, didn't notice, or grabbed at their wands. Obviously, the entire Gryffindor table stayed, and were either laughing or preparing for battle.

The note was written in hardly-readable handwriting, as if written in a hurry. It said, "They drugged me."

Luna read it through Harry's eyes, "Interesting. Perhaps we could speak to him about Greyback's location?"

"No need. Hedwig can find him. However, we still need to talk to this man."

"Agreed."

Harry got a spare piece of parchment from his bag and used a self-inking quill to write the following.

 _Dear Mr. Ludsworth,_

 _We got your note ('They drugged me') and understand completely. If there is anything we can do to protect you against a werewolf attack, please feel free to ask. If you feel that you want to become a werewolf, but don't trust Greyback's followers with your life, we can arrange a meeting on Christmas. You can cancel this meeting at any time after you agree to it. Do not concern yourself with giving me your whereabouts; that letter may be intercepted by Greyback's men. Instead, I will send you an owl enchanted with a tracking charm on the day we agree to meet, which we will use to find your location._

 _Remember; you have nothing to fear from us. You are our friend and there is very little you can do to change that. Now, unless you have some request, we have classes that we need to get back to._

 _In high regard,_

 _Harry and Luna Potter._

After Luna read it and sent him the emotion of satisfaction, Harry tied the note onto Hedwig's leg before she flew off. Harry then had half of a mind to observe what was going on around him, realizing only now that he wasn't being affected by the fear occurring around him. Only now did Harry realize that over half of the Great Hall had read the news and decided to get as far away from him as a result.

 _"_ _Luna, why am I unaffected by their fear?"_

 _"_ _Do you see that up there?"_ Luna thought, pointing at the Sorting Hat that she had just noticed was perched on Dumbledore's table. _"_ _I feel that the hat is preventing their fear from leaving their minds."_

 _"_ _Impressive."_ Harry thought. He sent a thought to the hat, "How long do you think you can keep that up?"

 _"_ _Hours,"_ it responded simply. That left Harry to decide what to do with these people that are just about freaking out around him. It only took a few seconds of confirmation with Dumbledore and Luna to know what to do next. Harry and Luna stood to move to the front of the hall. Harry could sense the tension thicken in the room. He heard the heartbeat of those near him increase as he grew closer to them. Thank goodness the Sorting Hat was blocking their fear.

Harry faced the students from the front of the room, looking into a few randomly chosen eyes. A mumbling of 'Sonorous' sent Harry's voice to every student in the school.

"For those of you who do not recognize my voice, my name is Harry Potter. I am sure that you just read the Daily Prophet. For those of you who didn't, it basically told you that I am a werewolf, that I discovered a cure to forced lycanthropy, and that I have been infecting thousands of people with lycanthropy. Of those three, only one is accurate. I am a werewolf, and so is Luna, who is my partner in life. It was Luna that discovered the cure, and she risked her life to do so. We then took this cure to a werewolf meeting, where most werewolves meet the day before the full moon to discuss politics. We gave them the cure and left.

"We later learned that citizens were being ambushed and bitten by werewolves, sometimes in broad daylight. Many politicians' children were being targeted specifically to make policies regarding werewolves better. We suspect Greyback to be at the center of this activity, as children are known to be his signature target. Neither Luna nor I know anything of any other werewolves' activities outside of rumors, nor do we intend on infecting anyone, even if they are begging us.

"This is because the cure to forced lycanthropy has a serious side-effect. Rather than being forced to change every full moon, a large amount of fear can do what a full moon would normally do. Strangely, this does not affect Luna, which could mean that only males need suffer this side-effect, but we are not certain and do not want to take that risk.

"Now, I am no danger to any of you. Unlike a full moon, fear is only suggestive and I can resist it. In the event in which I fail to resist, I have a powerful sleeping potion that would kill the adrenaline rush that forces me to transform. In the end, this whole thing is mostly just an inconvenience to me. Can you guys stop being so afraid around me? I don't want to have to pass out in the middle of the day because someone fooled themselves into thinking that I needed to be feared. We have lessons and homework to focus on, let's not let this distract us."

Harry mumbled 'Quietus' and then left the front of the room, sitting back where he was sitting before. Luna was close behind him and he realized that their bonds were glowing brighter than their usual gold light.

 _"_ _Why are our bonds glowing so much?"_

Harry was met with a hug at this question, _"_ _You called me your partner in life, Furry Potter. In front of the whole school."_ Luna was glowing a patronus white aura.

 _"_ _Yeah. I bet I made a lot of people envy you."_

 _"_ _You did, but more people are simply relieved. Thank you for making that speech."_

 _"_ _You're welcome."_

The tension in the room had dropped significantly. Apparently, that speech had turned his public image from that of a faceless, dark monster to that of a kid just wanting to go to school and having to struggle to do it. Having a sudden idea, he linked his mind to one person from each house who he had detected were also werewolves, saying

 _"_ _I would like you to post a note on your common room's notice board that says this. 'Even with the cure, the first full moon forces you to change. If you have become a werewolf since the last full moon, you will be forced to transform next week on Friday night, and will need somewhere to be while that occurs. Harry Potter invites you to his typical tutoring location on that night. All who will join us will need to enter the room before 7PM. Any who do not know the location, but still wish to have somewhere to stay, meet Harry Potter on the same day just before 7PM.'_

Harry paused, sending Dumbledore, _"_ _Dumbledore, there are going to be several students that will be forced to transform because they will experience their first full moon. Would you supervise us in the Room of Requirement next week on Friday? The change doesn't force us to become mindless, just forces us to change."_

 _"_ _Of course Harry."_ Dumbledore responded simply, returning to his breakfast. Harry asked another question.

 _"_ _Some of the students don't know the location of the Room. Can you meet me at the Great Hall before 7PM on Friday to escort them?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_ Dumbledore said plainly to him. He was obviously thinking about something. Frustratingly enough, Dumbledore's mind appeared empty to him.

Harry now went back to his four messengers, _"_ _Make sure to say that the note is approved by Albus Dumbledore."_

Harry received four affirmative answers, and then he made each of them write it on their agendas.

-oOoOo-

Following the cloudy minds of those above them, Luna and Harry made their way to their first divination class. They climbed a ladder to the top of the tower and were met by a cloud of smoke. Harry felt that everyone except one individual in the room was drowsy. Harry didn't understand why, but the smoke and perfume affected him in exactly the opposite way that it affected others. It kicked his mind into overdrive, and Luna was affected in the same way, but not as extremely. Suddenly, he discovered that he could think much faster than he usually could.

He felt himself sensing things in ways he never knew he was capable of sensing. In many ways, he was impaired. He felt weak and fragile. He could barely think about his surroundings, as if he were tired, at least to what was happening around him. To his mind, however, he was more awake and alive than he had ever been. His mind raced to many things, most of them he barely considered before they became full-fledged debates, critiques, and predictions. It was as if a pair of eyes were opened within his mind that he had never known were there.

Harry slumped onto an open and rather large bean bag, barely aware of Luna sitting with him. Unlike Harry, Luna was aware of the misty voice coming from what was perceived as the front of the classroom.

"Welcome students. My name is professor Trelawney. I will be your divination instructor to all of you this semester, and all but one of you next semester."

The room was filled with slight whispering just before the professor stepped out of the smoke. Luna recognized a unique scent coming off of her. Harry recognized a physical weakness and clumsiness in her muscles. Harry sent a curious feeling centered on this discovery to Luna, who asked the professor,

"Why is it that your mind and muscles react to the perfume like ours do, yet everyone else just feels very tired?"

The Professor moved on, merely smiling brightly at the couple. Raising her voice, she said, "Divination is the art of gathering information. Even at a distance, whether it is a distance of space or of time, a true master of divination can learn it. A long time ago, the subject shrank as various enchantments encircled the globe, unintentionally blocking spacial divination spells such as scrying. These enchantments have greatly faded, however, and now there are many divination spells available to wizard kind once more.

"We will first be studying the future this semester for two reasons: The chief of these reasons is that predictions of the future are rarely within the next few months. A part of your grade, though a small part, as well as your extra credit involves making accurate predictions of the future. Of course, you do not have to make these predictions in the class room, but you must make at least one for ten percent of your grade. Each accurate prediction after the first earns five points to your house and to your grade. There are no limitations on accurate predictions as long as they are not apparent to us normally."

Trelawney turned to Luna and blinked at her with her eyes magnified by her glasses. The blink was not normal. Her normal eyelid stayed where it was, but two other eyelids came in from the sides, snapped shut, and opened again. She smiled broadly once more and then turned to speak to the class at large,

"Fortune telling is more of an art than it is a science. It happens to be based on your ability to free your mind from its latent mental barriers. Over time, we become 'normalized' by society, its expectations, and its laws. The future holds no such laws. The future that you will be peering into is merely the possible, so you must free your mind to every possibility. Of course, every person is different and it definitely works differently for different people. So differently, in fact, that the books that you have bought are only how most people predict the future. Those with true potential in divination will break off from the norm and become their own teacher. For this first semester, I can be nothing more than a guide to point you in the right direction. It is you that must travel the road alone."

By this time, some of the smoke had cleared from the room through the trapdoor. This allowed the class, minus Harry, to see that there was a shelf full of teacups behind the professor. "We will first begin exploring divination through shapes in your tea leaves. Turn your books to the first chapter."

Many shuffling of pages later, "Tea leaf divination has existed about as long as tea has, and for good reason. One old and rare form of tea, when fermented and distilled, can actually boost your mental acuity, further increasing your ability to look into the future. It's actually made of the same leaf that I am burning right now. However, we will not be drinking that tea. Now, everyone rise and form a line towards the teacups over there, and-" With this she lowered her voice, looking directly at Neville, "when you break your pink cup, go back to the shelf and choose one of the blue ones. I have become rather fond of the pink ones."

With that, the class got up, minus Harry, who seemed incapable of rising from the bean bag. In fact, the entire speech that Trelawney had given had not even been noticed by him. He seemed incapable of doing many things accurately. He couldn't absorb and process any information of his surroundings without focusing only on that thing. A feint thought whispered that the smoke was poisoning his mind, but he didn't bother telling Luna. It was just too much effort to even consider. His normal thoughts were replaced by a web of information. This web was made of possibilities, information he shouldn't have known. Harry was aware of an energy moving through him. Before his mind flashed multiple futures, most of them dark.

He saw Luna die to an anonymous killer in more than half of the 'links' of the web, the other half usually had Harry die instead. Those were the ones that ended. He saw his friends die, too. All of them, some of them, one of them, most of them. They died. Harry sometimes died trying to protect them. He barely noticed Luna's mind exploring his and seeing nothing, nor did he recognize who said, 'I've made a special brew just for people like you,' just before pouring. He didn't know that he had been sitting there far too long. He didn't know that the class was about to end. His mind was trying to process too much information. At least that's what he thought he was doing. That's what he hoped he was doing. All of them ended too soon.

Far too soon.

"Four years." Said Harry after drinking his tea automatically, finding that he was now able to focus on the present, while simultaneously experiencing the worst 'dream slipping between your fingers' type of memory loss.

"Four years?" Luna asked, surprised that Harry's mind was in the present, "Why did you say that?"

"Say what?"

"Your mind goes blank for almost the entire class, then you come back and the only thing you have to say is, 'Four years'?"

Harry rubbed his face and yawned, then said, "Almost the entire class?"

"Yes. You were staring at the front of the class for about an hour now. I searched your mind, but couldn't see anything. I asked the professor and she said that it is common for someone like you to go through this after inhaling this smoke for the first time. What happened?"

"…I…mmhh," Harry rubbed his face again and stretched as much as the bean bag allowed, yawning once more. "I don't remember." He said while he yawned, his mind being truly emptied of any memory of what had happened when he was out: Everything, of course, except for a general feeling of impending doom, and the words 'four years.'

"OK. Just drink your tea and I'll tell you what you missed."


	16. The Prophecy, Buckbeak

**This chapter begins where the last one ends.**

Within seconds of getting his cup, Neville dropped it and it shattered on the floor. Trelawney's wand was already out. She pointed at the cup, whispering 'repairo.' Within the second the pink cup had landed, it was reassembled. "Good. One of the blue ones now, dear. That's a good man," she said, just before whispering 'accio' and catching the newly repaired teacup. Taking a second look at Neville she asked,

"You, boy? What's your name?"

"Neville Longbottom, professor."

"Neville, have you heard of your grandmother's state recently? Is she alright?"

"Yes, last I heard. Why?"

"Something is leeching her strength from her. Does she have any male friends?"

"…um…no, why-"

"Write your mother a letter asking how she is doing, then give it to me for interpretation. I think there are some decisions in her life that are coming back to haunt her. She could be in trouble." Neville looked at her with wide eyes, and then sat back down before she could predict any more of his future. She latched her eyes on the next person in sight; Ron.

"You, there. Is your name Ron?"

His look became that of someone who had been randomly picked for execution, "…um… no?"

"You just lied to me. Now, you are currently in a relationship with an unusual form of intimacy, yes? Like what Harry and Luna share?"

"Sure." He said, attempting to make his getaway.

"Make sure you do not let your selfish perspective get in the way of it. You have no idea what you would be getting rid of. Also, just dive into the bonds, it will get rid of your selfishness much q-, Hey! You there? Little girl?"

"Yes?" Said Hermione, not caring what she had to say, since all she was speaking of were possible futures, rather than solid facts.

"Come here." She said, indicating an area right next to her. She whispered something in Hermione's ear. She then stood back up and said,

"What? He'll sleep with someone he doesn't even know without knowing it? How is that even possible?" Her voice hinted that she was rather finished with this professor.

"I don't know, it's just what I saw. It's also about impossible to avoid. All of his most likely futures say so. I haven't seen major events like this so certain in a while. Um….Well, actually…no, that isn't true…" And with that, her eyes unfocused much like Harry's, and she stayed like that until seconds before Harry woke up.

-oOoOo-

Harry said, just before drinking the last of his tea, "She's terribly specific."

"Is Neville's grandmother that woman at the werewolf meeting?"

"Augusta? Yes, she is."

"How do you think she's got something that's leeching her strength?"

"The typical werewolf is a dirty beast when out of control. Before your cure, they didn't care much for hygiene when they were ripping people's throats out, and they would hardly notice if they were infected, even if they had the cure. For example, if a werewolf bit someone with an infection of some sort, he or she is now infected. From then on, as long as a part of their mouth was bleeding, every bite they make or wound they lick would spread the infection. In fact, any form of contact could spread the pathogen, depending on what it was. Augusta could be infected with an energy sapping disease and be a full-time werewolf fighting to infect others with lycanthropy. The regular exhaustion that would occur from infecting people by night and working by day would hide the exhaustion caused by the disease sapping her energy."

"You have a good point. However, I feel as if that has nothing to do with it."

"Then what do you feel?"

"I don't know, but not that." Luna looked at her cup, sighing, "We aren't supposed to be telling our own futures. Here; trade me cups."

"Alright." Harry said, taking her cup as she took his. They looked at their cups for about a minute. Harry then said to Luna, "I don't seem to be getting anything automatically. I guess I have to get my book out."

Luna's was already out, and she was flipping through the pages almost feverishly. Harry, however, was looking through slowly, absorbing the information in the book rather than tell Luna's future. He was uninterested in what was most likely to happen, because it would become more likely if it were good and less likely if it were bad, as they would simply work to prevent the bad stuff and cause the good stuff. In a world where the future has trillions of variable chains of cause and effect, who cares about finding out the most likely path? It's much more likely to travel a completely different path, and is therefore useless. Better to forge your own way from the bottom up, rather than the top down. The only situation in which any form of future sight was useful was if they could see all futures at once and in complete detail, allowing them to hand-pick their own future.

Surprisingly, he read fast enough that he finished the chapter on tea-leaf reading before class was over. He had fifteen minutes to spare, so he looked inside of Luna's cup. What he saw was much less strait forward than what he had expected. Either he was seeing very far into Luna's future, or Luna was a complicated person with a complicated path. The second was most likely. She had a cross, falcon, and skull. The skull meant danger of some kind and was in the center of the falcon, which meant a deadly enemy, though Harry felt that it could take any form. The cross was lying sideways and went through the eagle's neck. The cross meant trials and suffering. The falcon, he felt, was the most immediate threat. In fact, he felt that it had already been a threat for a while. While all of these made sense while put together, there was one last symbol that didn't make any sense. A sun. When holding the cup with his dominant hand, (which was how you were supposed to view it), it rested just above the falcon's head.

"How can that be right?" Harry asked Luna.

"Not now, Harry." She snapped, giving off a wave of heat. Her brow furrowed in concentration. Harry attempted to mentally help her with her search, but for the first time he found her mind closed off to him. Contrary to popular belief, Harry was terrible at breaking down mental barriers. He was far better at mentally negotiating for them to be put down, which entailed a much more convincing form of argument than the usual – emotion. This barrier would not be put down, however.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked her.

"Nothing." She said, smiling at him briefly. The smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Luna, something is wrong. What is it?"

"It's nothing."

"So something is wrong. You just told me. However, wrong things are never 'nothing.' People don't think that things are wrong for no reason. What is it?"

"Harry, quit asking."

A misty voice joined in on the conversation, "Give me the cup, please."

Luna gave the professor a hideous glare. One you would expect someone to feint from, if anyone knew of the sender's capability. Trelawney simply took the cup and looked inside. As soon as her yes met the contents, she simply gave a half smile.

"It appears that you are the unlucky one this year, Harry. Forgive me if I don't congratulate you." She said in a strangely monotone voice. The professor handed Harry the cup, then strode to the front of the room. Harry looked at his cup and saw a dog. Remembering the grim, he now knew why Luna was closing her mind off from him. He interlaced his fingers between hers and she returned his grip. Her mind was now open to him.

Trelawney spoke now, "Does anyone else have the grim?"

One other hand rose from the sea of bean bags. It was someone from Gryffindor that Harry didn't know by name, but who he remembered as an excellent duelist.

Trelawney asked the boy it belonged to, "Is it accompanied by anything else?"

"Yes." The boy answered, "Do you want to know what it is?"

"Yes."

"It's a club."

Her face paled slightly. "Let me see the cup." He gave it to her and she looked inside. Seconds went by, then, "Well, I have good news and bad news, dear. The good news is that this prediction is either several years in the future or very soon, yet highly unlikely. The bad news is that if it is years in the future, it is almost guaranteed that you will die. Did you see the club going through the neck of the grim?"

"Yes. What does it mean?"

"It can mean one of two things, or even both of them. It means that there is a good chance that you will die before facing your enemy; whoever, or whatever that may be. If you do face your enemy, however, your actions can decide whether or not you die. You could die through this either directly or indirectly. You could die during the attack or moments, even years after."

"So, basically prepare myself for every form of attack?" He asked, putting on a face that made some students think that he would beat his enemy. Judging by his dueling record in Harry's classes, he just may, unless it didn't attack him with a wand.

"Not exactly. Were you thinking of anyone while you drank?"

Instantly, the boy responded, "Harry Potter." Luna tensed up at the boy's response. So did the whole class except for Harry.

"…Oh…." She said, her face slowly morphing to take on somber tones. "I…I'm afraid that we are out of time, my dears. Please exit my classroom as soon as you can. I will accept no one staying after class. Except perhaps Potter and Lovegood."

Harry and Luna went to the front of the room while everyone else took the ladder down. The first thing that was said had been said by Harry,

"You really are dramatic, professor."

Luna was silent. She had a blank face.

Trelawney's eyes bulged, "Wait…you don't believe that you will die?"

"Yes. I also believe that you, too, will die. As well as everyone that had just left the classroom. And even Luna will die. What I am wondering is, could you tell _when_ I was going to die?"

Luna said, rather blankly, "Four years."

Both Harry and Trelawney gazed at Luna, Harry in confusion, Trelawney in wonder. Trelawney spoke before Harry,

"Did you just have a-"

"Harry said it as soon as he woke up, which was just fifteen minutes ago."

Trelawney resumed her darker self. Looking at Harry, she asked, "You passed out?"

Harry said, "I think so."

"And you passed out because of the fumes?"

"Yes."

"And you had a dream?"

"I don't remember."

"But you did have one, yes?"

"I might have. I don't know."

Trelawney relaxed a little. She thought for a few moments. "Well, if you woke up and immediately said something that made no sense, then it must have made sense to you. Something in your dream, which had to have happened given the circumstances, made the words 'four years' make sense to you. The only thing that I can think of is if you had a dream of your possible futures all at once, then saw them all end at one point four years away. Now, there are several reasons as to why they would have ended. Maybe you couldn't see far enough, and so your mind interpreted the full extent of your inner sight as death. Four years is a truly impressive extent of your sight, dear boy, especially for your first time. So, it doesn't surprise me that you might have thought, after seeing your futures end all at once, that that is when you must die.

"This is a rather common phenomenon in Divination, though it only occurs with a very small group of people, and so is written off as mysticism and fantasy. I have had two dreams very much like that, stimulated by the very same vapor in the air that made you pass out as well, and I saw about twenty years into the future in both of them. In the more recent of the two, I was supposed to die yesterday, but apparently I didn't."

Luna relaxed considerably, and her mind began 'waking up' from its emotional death as Harry soothed her with his mind. Between them, they promised that they would be careful together; as if that was anything different than what they had already been doing. But still, it helped Luna calm down. Trelawney sensed this and smiled, saying,

"You two are a cute couple."

They smiled and Harry said, "Goodbye, professor." This may have seemed rude, but they had mentally connected with the professor at this point, giving her feelings of gratitude for explaining the situation. Trelawney seemed unsurprised by the contact. Not in the misty, unfocused way, but in the sharp, expecting way.

"Goodbye, dears."

Harry stopped just before leaving, and Luna beat him to the question he was trying to ask.

"Um, hey, professor?"

"Yes?" She said, coming back from a brief daydream.

"Are you partially reptilian?"

"Oh, so you did notice my odd blink at the beginning of class, then?"

"Yes, professor."

"Well, I would have to say that I don't know. I can speak to snakes, though, so I just might be."

-oOoOo-

Harry barely paid attention to much of Transfiguration, as the death omen was brought up. Things became interesting enough during Care of Magical Creatures.

As a result of the Serious-Black-Breaking-Out-of-Azkaban thing, all students in Harry and Luna's class had to be escorted to Care of Magical Creatures from Transfiguration. On the way there, many of the students opened their books, The Monster Book of Monsters, for the first time. Draco mentally asked Harry,

 _"_ _Um…Harry?"_

 _"_ _Yes?"_

 _"_ _How do I stop this book from trying to bite my face?"_

 _"_ _Just stroke the spine. It should calm down."_

 _"_ _How do you know this?"_

 _"_ _Soul Magic, remember?"_

 _"_ _Oh, right."_

-oOoOo-

Hagrid spoke to the class, beaming, "This little beauty is Buckbeak!" Into the clearing strode what struck Harry and Luna as the third most beautiful creature they had ever seen, first being Norberta, second being Caroline. Quite automatically, their minds attempted to bond with Buckbeak. They found themselves impeded by a certain… _force_. They had not come in contact with this 'force' before, so they had no way to know what it was, why it was there, or how to get around it to bond with the magnificent creature's mind.

 _"_ _Little beauty?"_ Harry heard Pansy think maliciously. Ever since Pansy became the center of attention in Slytherin house, Harry decided to keep a mental eye on her without her knowing. Who knows what she could, or would do to impress her new friends?

Harry began listening to Hagrid after Pansy unknowingly interrupted Harry's train of thought, "…are very proud creatures." Hagrid paused for dramatic effect. "Don't ever insult one of 'em…or it might very well be the last thing you ever do… now… who would like to pat 'im first?"

As seen in advance by both Luna and Harry, the entire class stepped back except for the two of them.

"Good! But only one of you can go." Hagrid said, moral boosted and smile widening, something that could hardly be seen behind his giant beard. Luna and Harry felt his mood become brighter as they had a brief mental exchange,

Luna spoke first, _"I would like to go."_ Harry felt her protective instincts mixed into her usual, spacey, and expansive mind. Much of it was deeply admiring Buckbeak, and the rest was intent on protecting Harry. Knowing that the battle was already lost, he thought,

 _"_ _Right. Be careful…and try not to burn him to a crisp if he attacks you."_

 _"_ _Not in a million years."_ She thought back to him, humor replacing her concern for Harry, both of which were eclipsed by her admiration for Buckbeak when she took her first step towards the Hippogriff.

Hagrid spoke as Luna entered the fenced-in area, "Now, before you approach a Hippogriff, it is very important that you abide by the proper courtesy. You must take a few steps forward, bow as low as you can and while bowing; look Buckbeak directly in his eye without blinking. It is important that you do not blink, because they don't trust people who blink too much."

Luna stepped forward cautiously. There was a moment when Harry and Luna noticed that Buckbeak's mind became incredibly sensitive….no, that wasn't the right word….Prickly, perhaps? Anyway, it felt hostile. Luna stopped automatically, sensing many possibilities. If it was Harry that was before Buckbeak, Luna would think that Harry was about to die. Luna may have thought that perhaps he would be mentally attacked on top of physically attacked. She wouldn't have taken any chances, would have burned that hippogriff to ashes in seconds. It's a good thing Luna was protective at the right moment.

Hagrid's booming voice pierced through Harry's self reflection. "Now, Luna. Be very careful now. That's it. Now…bow, but do not take your eyes of him and blink as little as possible."

Luna bowed. A stick at her feet broke in half, creating a dry, loud 'CRACK!'

Instantly, Luna and Harry heard the sound of the breaking stick magnified by several times, coming through their mental link with Buckbeak. Buckbeak's mind seemed to… well, they have never seen a mind act the way his acted. The closest thing they could come to describe it would be the word 'bristle.' It was almost as if his mind grew needles. It hurt to maintain a mental link with him. Harry, sensitive as his mind has become to outside influence, developed an intense headache and fell to his knees, grabbing his head and cringing in pain. Luna's mind was a little more refined, and immediately cut off contact with Buckbeak.

Upon feeling this and seeing Buckbeak's agitated behavior, Luna didn't need Hagrid to tell him to back off. Maintaining eye contact, she stepped back one time. Though Harry and Luna couldn't tell if Buckbeak's mind had settled down, they could see an obvious change in his behavior. Buckbeak stood and looked into Luna's eyes with his left eye for a few moments, as if engaging in a staring contest. Then, Buckbeak stepped forward and bowed deeply to Luna. Harry mentally asked Hagrid, who had grown accustomed to mental contact much like Draco,

 _"_ _Did you teach Buckbeak to do that?"_

 _"_ _No, Harry. There are creatures out there that seem to have formed a universal code. I don't know how it has been formed or how the individual members learn of it, but it is how they decide if someone is to be viewed as a friend amongst them."_

 _"_ _But, couldn't anyone just bow to a Hippogriff?"_

 _"_ _Well, yes, but I think it's more complicated than that. I haven't seen a single truly evil person accepted by a Hippogriff. It's almost as if they can sense how you are. And, besides, could you picture Voldemort-" At this Hagrid physically cringed, "Well, yeah, Voldemort. Could you see him bowing to anything? Especially a Hippogriff?"_

The idea of the dark lord bowing to anything or anyone made him laugh – out loud – in real life. Draco asked him mentally,

 _"_ _What's so funny?"_

Harry just sent him a mental picture of Voldemort bowing to Buckbeak. Draco didn't find it as funny as it was to Harry.

At about this time, Luna had approached Buckbeak and was patting his beak and combing his feathers around his eyes. Harry sensed that they were bonding and he cautiously joined them. Harry and Luna were interrupted by Hagrid.

"A'right!" Exclaimed Hagrid, "I believe he'll let you ride him now."

"What?" Asked Luna just before Hagrid picked her up, "Whoa, Hey!" This made Harry's stomach lurch as he felt himself, through his partial connection to Luna, picked up by Hagrid, lifted several feet into the air, tilted, and then brought down onto Hedwig just before severing their active connection. This whole thing was very disorienting and Harry stumbled as his mind attempted to prop himself upright, even though it wasn't him that was being tilted. Pansy Parkinson noticed this and jeered,

"Going to faint, Potter?"

"That'll do it!" Hagrid said as he gently set Luna on Buckbeak's back. "Hold on! And don't pull out his feathers! He won't thank you for that!" And then he smacked Buckbeak on the hindquarters to get him going.

Harry reconnected with Luna just soon enough to experience what Luna was experiencing, which was being thrust into the air on Buckbeak. This made him stumble again, attempting to regain a balance that he hadn't lost in the first place.

 _"_ _That's going to take a while to get used to."_

Then, after she had overcome the awe of being on Buckbeak, Luna thought to Harry, _"You still have problems with balance when we are connected?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_ Harry thought, using an exasperated voice with the thought. _"After a whole year of riding a dragon with you, yes."_

Luna mentally laughed a laugh that was a shadow of her real laugh, but was still beautiful. This laugh drowned out the jeers from Pansy, Crabb, and Goyle. Harry sensed her mind return to her flight and he leaned against a tree, now seeing the world through Luna's senses. Harry felt Luna's long hair pulled back by the wind as Buckbeak's powerful wing muscles pulsated under her, his wings brought down and up and down again. Harry could feel the sun on Luna's face. The air smelled much crisper above the trees, and Harry could feel a cool wind rolling in, hinting of winter's snowfall and dark, chilled nights. Those beautiful nights where one could seek warmth in the heart and mind of another, sharing thoughts and heat.

-oOoOo-

Buckbeak and Luna landed, giving Harry another feeling of intense vertigo. Luckily, he was leaning against a tree. He still flinched, though. During his flight with Luna, Buckbeak had become mentally bonded to the two of them. Apparently, the ceremony of bowing to a Hippogriff and being accepted allows for someone to mentally bond with one. Otherwise, the mind is totally impenetrable. Harry, and by extension Luna, took a mental note on this, wondering if this was a natural defense mechanism or the result of a specialized, or even greater, intelligence.

When Buckbeak and Luna landed, Hagrid yelled, "Well done! Well done, Luna! And well done, Buckbeak!"

When Harry came-to while underneath the tree, he had barely opened his eyes before hearing Draco say,

"Hey! Harry! Wake up!"

Harry opened his eyes sleepily and said, "I wasn't asleep."

Pansy interrupted, "Because you feinted, Potter!"

Draco resumed his conversation with Harry mentally, _"What was that, then? What were you doing?"_

 _"_ _I was joining my mind with Luna's to experience flying on Buckbeak."_

 _"_ _Really? Is that possible?"_

 _"_ _Yes, but it is hard to get used to."_

 _"_ _Will I be able to do that with my dragon?"_

 _"_ _If I am able to get you one and you are able to bond with it."_

 _"_ _You don't think I can?"_

 _"_ _Of course I do. Just…for the time being, bond with as many animals as possible. A Mother's Love Bond is a hard thing to form. I was lucky enough that Norberta was receptive. If she hadn't been, I wouldn't have come near to bonding with her."_

"Are you two going to kiss?" Pansy interrupted snarkily, faking a flirtatious tone. Apparently, they had been staring at each other for too long while being too close.

Knowing how to play the game, Draco came back "Ha! Like you and that troll!?"

For a second, Pansy's guard seemed to go down, "Wh—Hey! Marcus is _not_ a Troll!"

"Oooooh! So it's 'Marcus,' eh? What, so you and Flint are on a first-name basis now? What happened to 'Spot Face,' I wonder? And what about 'Brick Brains'? What happened to th-?"

"Oh, just shut it!" Pansy yelled, pushing Draco. Surprisingly, Draco fell over quite hard. It wasn't surprising to Harry that Pansy was strong for someone her age, given his past relations with other women. He did have a veela for a wife and McGonagall as a teacher. What surprised Harry was that Draco didn't realize this in time to dodge her. Or did he?

When Draco got up, Hagrid yelled, "Miss Parkinson! If I see you lay a hand on another student again, I will give you detention with me in the Forbidden Forest!" The bellow would have been terrifying to hear indoors. It was still very intimidating outdoors. Then there was the Forbidden Forest. After 'the two monstrous killer snakes and the dragon' came to the forest, it had become a place openly feared among the students, though there were many who secretly wished to see them and some had even tried, despite knowing that one of the snakes was a basilisk and the dragon could burn you to a crisp. Their most frequent visitors were Fred and George for obvious reasons. Which masters of mischief could pass on seeing _that?_ After a few visits, Fred and George were almost killed or severely maimed several times trying to find them, and eventually earned their friendship, though not their complete trust. Again, for obvious reasons.

With the threat of the forest, Pansy Parkinson nodded and said sweetly, "I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble, Hagrid." Draco grinned slightly in Harry's direction before returning to the front of the group of students.

"I'm sure you are." Grumbled Hagrid between his beard hair, turning from her. "Good!" Hagrid spoke to the whole class, "Now, would you all like to try befriending a hippogriff?"

Several of the students nodded, and Hagrid put his fingers to his mouth, whistling loudly. Several hippogriffs appeared. Some flew in overhead, others trotted in from the forest. They came in many colors. There was Buckbeak's mottled grey, and then there were some who wore patterns of black, gold, yellow, orange, even one who's underside was pink and the outside was the brightest white. One was a dull red. There was a slightly green one as well. It seems that there was one for every five students. How Hagrid got a hold on these Hippogriffs, Harry had no idea. As long as the students didn't do anything stupid, everything should be OK, though. Well… hopefully.

Of course, things never do turn out perfectly, do they? Harry was just barely beginning to congratulate Hagrid on his first class with them when he heard Pansy's distinct voice say, "You aren't dangerous at all, are you, you oversized bird?"

That's when Harry felt two distinct pillars of fiery rage spewing from two very close minds in the clearing. He turned around just soon enough to witness Luna flooring Parkinson in the face before Buckbeak's talon cut a deep gash in Luna's back. In both of their rages over the insult, Luna had put herself in the talon's path, and Buckbeak didn't pay close enough attention to lighten the blow. Luna and Buckbeak immediately regretted their actions. Then Luna, bleeding, raging, and smelling blood, began to struggle with her own mind, a portion of which, Harry noticed, seemed to have taken on a mind of its own.

It took Harry half a second to realize that Luna's wolf form, for the first time, was threatening to reveal its true and unleashed self. There were no safeguards on her, unlike Harry, who realized that there was likely no one else that knew what was about to happen. Harry and Luna both clutched their hair, straining against her wolf form. It seemed to be far more powerful than his was. Or maybe it was just cooped up and aching to roll some heads. Luna groaned and fell to her knees, completely ignoring the gash on her back, instead fighting with her mind.

After a second's thought, ' _Well, duh,'_ He took his ring off (the one that warns all teachers of an adrenaline rush experienced by the wearer) and put it around Luna's finger. Then he took out his second sleeping potion and attempted to mentally contact Dumbledore and the Sorting Hat. Both of them seemed to be absent, or at least their minds were hidden to him. He settled for McGonagall as he uncorked the small bottle, putting his left arm around Luna's thin frame and holding the bottle in front of her, waiting for her to drink it. She commanded his arm as she would her own, leading it to let her drink from the potion, and the action was completed perfectly.

Then her grip on the wolf slipped a little.

"Shit." Harry heard her mumble as her hands squeezed her head tighter.

As this was happening, McGonagall responded to Harry's mental probing with a wary, _"What is that?"_ Although, he could tell that she was thinking to herself rather than to him.

 _"_ _Professor! It's Luna, she-!"_

 _"_ _Ah! Yes, Harry, I'm already on my way."_ And then the connection was cut off.

The entire class was standing in a circle, watching large black hairs grow on Luna's body, slowly replacing her pure white hair despite her and Harry's efforts, not to mention the sleeping potion that could kill a normal person. Despite the grimness of the situation, it was going much better than how it could be going, though it could have been going better.

 _"_ _So, instead of the werewolf coming out like a jack-in-the-box to catch everyone by surprise, it's just going to slowly seep out of Luna's pours as everyone watches in horror….And then the hunt will begin. Lovely."_

But then something happened. Harry was forced out of Luna's mind. Then, almost immediately, the hairs stopped growing, and the werewolf stopped gaining mental strength. Then the hair began retracting back into Luna's skin. What was happening? Who could be interfering? He searched around Luna's mind. Whatever was acting on Luna wasn't doing so from outside. Strange. Harry would dive into Luna's mind now, but he felt that it wasn't safe. Whatever was going on in Luna's head was not something that she was capable of doing. Her mental activity now, compared to her normal activity, was like comparing the sun to a bonfire.

Then it was over. Luna's mind dimmed to normal levels and the wolf stopped struggling. She lay on her side and promptly succumbed to the sleeping potion, snoozing until only a few minutes before her last class that day. Teachers appeared, Harry healed Luna's wound, but not before several teachers saw it. Later that day, rumors began spreading around about concerns with Buckbeak. Many seemed to believe that when this event was brought to the Ministry's attention, that they would act against Buckbeak, likely calling for an execution after a trial. It was common knowledge that many Ministry employees, particularly one Miss Umbridge, did not care for an animal that attacked students.

Despite the strangeness of the situation, Buckbeak's probable execution isn't what disturbed him the most (though it was a big factor). What disturbed Harry the most was why Luna's wolf didn't take control. The reason she didn't turn? He couldn't find one. He had asked the school's teachers, the students, Luna, every companion in and out of the Forbidden Forest, and the Sorting Hat, and not one had stopped Luna from turning. Several of them had tried to, but had been pushed out by a tremendous force, and couldn't tell what the force was. Dumbledore is the only one that had been slightly suspicious when asked. Mentally empty he responded,

"I had attempted to save Luna, but before even beginning to try I had realized, given your present mental company, that I did not need to."

And with a wink, he sent Harry away.


End file.
